BMC suspends concretisation of Pali Hill road after residents’ request

After the residents approached the BMC with many reasons why the road should not be concretised, municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani instructed civic authorities to hear them out and inspect the road before taking any further decisions, according to a press note issued on Friday

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has suspended its plan to concretise the Auxilium Convent Road at Pali Hill, a day after HT reported about how residents had mobilised to block the civic authorities from proceeding with the work.

Mumbai, India - Feb. 13, 2025: A view of the Auxilium Convent Road at Bandra in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, February 13, 2025. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

After the residents approached the BMC with many reasons why the road should not be concretised, municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani instructed civic authorities to hear them out and inspect the road before taking any further decisions, according to a press note issued on Friday.

As for other similar requests from citizens across Mumbai to keep their roads untouched, Gagrani told HT, “We will take a call on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the number of residents opposing concretisation and the condition of the road. It is not going to be a blanket decision, but we will consider the requests.”

The Pali Hill Residents Association (PHRA) had written to Gagrani on February 2, saying the Auxilium Convent Road is in great condition, as it was made only five years ago. PHRA secretary Madhu Poplai, former corporator Asif Zakaria, and other residents then held a meeting with officials from the BMC’s roads department and managed to halt the concretisation.

“It is a small road which is a dead end, so it is not used by many other people apart from the residents,” said Gaurav Punj, a Pali Hill resident. “There are fully grown trees on both sides that may be damaged during the concretisation, a girl’s primary school at the end of the road, and many senior citizen residents, who may be affected by the dust pollution. There is an impending redevelopment project, and we fear concretisation will block the movement of emergency vehicles. Hopefully, it will remain un-concrete [sic],” he said.

Previously, residents of Mount Mary Road and Kane Road in Bandra West had also demanded a halt to concretisation. Over in south Mumbai, Colaba residents and former corporator Makarand Narwekar had demanded the same for four roads that they said are in good condition — Henry Marg, Tullak Marg, Garden Road and Walton Road. The Marine Drive Residents Association (MDRA) had also made a similar request for D Road.