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Mumbai: A long stretch of the Yamuna Nagar Road in Andheri West, dug up by BMC in Oct 2024 for concretisation, lies incomplete since Dec 26. Residents, frustrated by the disruption to traffic and school bus access, now face a new hurdle as the BMC claims no record exists to verify the road’s ownership.
A civic report accessed by TOI says, “After receipt of complaint the matter was once again referred to assistant engineer (A.E.) (Maintenance) K/West ward wherein the A.E. (Maint.)K/W has stated that ‘the said road is maintained by BMC and in physical possession of BMC, however no record is available to ascertain the ownership of the land below the subject road’.”
This half-finished road, popularly known as Movie Tower Road, with housing societies on either side that are home to several film and TV actors now lies partly barricaded. The unresolved question remains: Whose road is it?
When TOI reached out to officials they said that they are still verifying the ownership. Activist and filmmaker Ashoke Pandit who put out a video message over residents’ frustration in navigating a half-barricaded road, said, “we believe this road was being done by BMC officials in connivance with a builder. If it was inaugurated in 2011, how come they have suddenly realised that it’s not under their ownership. Also, should residents wait for them to decide ownership before they close the dug-up road,” said Pandit.
In a written complaint, Rakesh Coelho, a local BJP office bearer, has said the BMC issued a stop-work notice to the contractor relaying the road “on an unsubstantiated complaint”. He pointed out that the road has been named and maintained by BMC for over 20 years with street lights. “Tender was floated and an order was passed for converting it into a CC (cement-concrete) Road. The contractor has already dug up a large portion of the road and now the BMC has gone and issued a stop-work notice. There are thousands of people living in societies on either side of the road being inconvenienced due to a complaint and the apathy of the authorities,” his complaint said. Dhaval Shah from the Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizen’s Association said, “No one is realising the dust pollution that this half done road is causing. On one side, measures are being taken to control pollution, and on another, road works are being left open for motorists and pedestrians to breathe in polluted air.”
A local resident said school buses are refusing to come in to pick up students. “There are 2,000 flats across 16 societies with roughly 6,000-8,000 people affected because of their mess,” he said.
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