BMC proposes solution to Shanmukhananda Hall-created traffic congestion

BMC proposes a Pay and Park facility on Flank Road due to traffic issues from Shanmukhananda Hall events, aiming to alleviate congestion and misuse concerns.

MUMBAI: The BMC’s F North ward has proposed the creation of a Pay and Park facility along Flank Road which currently houses a defunct cycling track. The initiative has come after requests from residents’ groups in Sion, who are increasingly frustrated by the huge traffic congestion outside the popular Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion East, which accommodates around 2,700 visitors.

BMC proposes solution to Shanmukhananda Hall-created traffic congestion

Prithviraj Chavhan, assistant commissioner, F north ward, said, “We are going to procure an NOC from the hydraulic department as it is their land, and once we get a clearance from the traffic department, we will use it for parking. There are a lot of VIP functions at Shanmukhananda Hall, and it can be utilised for their visitors.”

The cycling track built above the Tansa pipeline on Flank Road during the Covid-19 pandemic was Aaditya Thackeray’s dream project but is allegedly being misused for drugs, alcohol, gambling and prostitution. This cycling track runs from Flank Road right up to Mankhurd.

Payal Shah, who runs several residents’ groups, said that Shanmukhananda Hall had events on at least 20 days a month. “At least 300 cars are parked on a daily basis on the narrow Flank Road,” she said. “No ambulance or fire engine can enter if necessary.”

Shah also raised concerns about the growing issue of drug addicts along the road, who demand ₹300 per car for parking and vandalise vehicles by deflating tyres and breaking mirrors. “On the day of events at the auditorium, residents face hefty fines of ₹1,000 for ‘No Parking’ violations even if they park in their own area,” she said. “Complaints to the traffic police often backfire, as residents end up receiving e-challans.”

Trustee V Shankar said that Shanmukhananda, constructed in 1952, was around much before residents came to Sion. “They were aware that a large convention centre, an auditorium, the biggest in the country then, was coming up,” he said. “They were fully aware that the road was narrow and that they would be buying trouble if they bought residences close by. But they came here because the flats were cheaper, and they had factored that nuisance value into the price. Now they say Shanmukhananda has 20 programmes. We will have 30 events a month. We have a license to do that,” he said defiantly.

Shankar claimed that the auditorium was losing occupancy and international events because of a lack of parking space. “That’s why we asked for a Pay-n-Park in the area where the cycling track is currently laid, and several years back paid a huge premium to the BMC,” he said. “We had asked for an additional plot of land adjacent to it, which was granted, and we spent a fortune developing it so that the extra cars could be parked there.”

The trustee said that they put up grills and laid tiles on the plot. “But the BMC didn’t allow it and demanded a ₹27-lakh premium when we were already paying a premium of around ₹2-3 lakh,” he said. “We thought it was atrocious, and we had already spent a huge amount on developing that plot. They took over the plot and it is now occupied by squatters with clothes hanging on the grill. It would be a great service to citizens and the Sabha if the adjacent plot along with the cycling track plot can be utilised for parking.”