A plot in Versova reserved for a fire station and municipal chowky under Mumbai’s Development Plan (DP) 2034 could lose its existing land-use reservation after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) initiated a proposal to modify the site’s planning designation.
The proposal covers a 4,179.56 sq m plot, where the civic body has proposed removing the 1,143.16 sq m fire station reservation and a 2,296 sq m municipal chowky reservation, while another 740.40 sq m is proposed to be merged into the residential zone. The proposal has raised concerns because the area has long awaited its first dedicated fire station.
The issue has gained attention as Versova, Lokhandwala, Oshiwara and Seven Bungalows continue to depend on fire stations located in Irla and Goregaon, with emergency response times often affected by heavy traffic in the densely built-up western suburbs.
The fire station reservation has existed in the city’s development plans for decades. Earlier this year, the state government had announced that a fire station would be developed at Chitrakoot Ground in Andheri West to address the area’s long-standing shortage of firefighting infrastructure, and civic authorities subsequently began removing encroachments from portions of the reserved land.
However, the latest proposal has prompted fresh concerns over whether the existing reservation should be altered before an alternative facility is fully developed. Opponents of the proposal have argued that deleting the reservation without a functioning replacement could weaken emergency preparedness in one of Mumbai’s rapidly growing high-rise residential corridors.
The proposal also raises broader planning questions about balancing civic infrastructure requirements with changing land-use priorities. Fire stations are considered essential public infrastructure in high-density urban areas, particularly where commercial activity and vertical redevelopment have significantly increased emergency response demands.
The matter is currently at the proposal stage, with calls for greater public consultation before any final decision is taken. Residents have sought clarity on the proposed alternative fire station, its implementation timeline and how emergency response capacity will be maintained if the existing reservation is modified.
Source: Prop News Time
