Residents of Powai Hiranandani Gardens are intensifying their protest against the proposed demolition of the Citipark commercial building on Central Avenue Road to make way for an 18-storey tower. The residents have scheduled an open forum for concerned citizens of Powai and Hiranandani Gardens on November 26 at 11 a.m. at the Lake Castle podium.
Development projects in Powai
The development projects in the Powai area have sparked various concerns among residents. According to activist Ratan Sharda, Hiranandani Gardens and its neighbourhood was a peaceful residential complex with commercial offices only on Central Avenue and Technology Street.
"It was known as the best planned green neighbourhood in Mumbai till the construction of four huge BPO complexes in the name of special economic zone (SEZ). Three (BPO) shifts a day, rising number of buses and other vehicles have made Hiranandani Gardens into a highly congested area and raised the particulate matter and decibel levels of our area. Noise and dust pollution have become an integral part of our lives,” averred Sharda.
Another activist Debi Goenka said, “Now a much bigger threat looms over us. Brookfield group that took over commercial properties from Hiranandani has begun exploiting existing areas with 24-hour noisy addition of floors as in the case of Ventura, Binge Central, a high-end eatery complex in Delphi. The project has taken away the sleep and peace of societies with traffic jams and horns blaring up to 1.30 a.m.”
Worries over upcoming Citipark commercial building project
Sharda continued, "To make matters worse, we have become aware that the Citipark commercial building on Central Avenue that houses Kotak Mahindra bank will be demolished and replaced with an 18-storey tower that will house multiplexes, food mall, commercial offices, and retail showrooms.”
"It will have a parking space for more than 1,000 cars but no parking for two-wheelers. According to information available, the project will commence soon as it has reportedly received a nod from the National Green Tribunal, but it hasn't got BMC clearances," he added.
Raising concern over the project, Goenka said, "Imagine 1,000 cars and 10,000 two-wheelers going in and out at least five-six times a day with multiplex and retail outlets. Apart from making it virtually impossible for the local residents to move in and out of Hiranandani Gardens, it will also create an unimaginable cacophony of noise and air pollution."
He questioned, “Do we residents have no say in how we wish to live or what comes up in our area?”
The residents have organised an open forum of concerned citizens of Powai and Hiranandani Garden on November 26 at 11 am at the Lake Castle podium.
