Car-washing shops: Once a garden view, now a garage view, says Oshiwara resident

About 25 years ago, when Zulfikar Soldier decided to buy his dream home in Oshiwara he settled on a building opposite a BMC-run park

About 25 years ago, when Zulfikar Soldier decided to buy his dream home in Oshiwara he settled on a building opposite a BMC-run park. Excited, he did not even hesitate to shell out extra money for a garden-facing flat. But little did he anticipate that instead of waking up to the sound of birds he would eventually have to bear with the water jets in action round the clock.

Mumbai, India - December 22, 2022: Car and bike repairing centre on the footpath of a road outside Green Park Building, Oshiwara, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, December 22, 2022. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

“When I bought the flat, it was a garden view. Now it is just a garage view,” the 63-year-old said.

Soldier is one of those many concerned citizens who have reached out to HT after reading a story on its December 20 edition about the illegal car-washing shops springing up on the city’s footpaths. While some of them complained that pedestrians’ movement has been restricted some are annoyed with the noise and air pollution as oily black suspended particles spread over the area. Some others even shared how these garages force children to walk on the road.

When HT visited five of these locations on Thursday, it found these shops had either encroached upon the footpaths or roads.

Since January, Soldier has been writing and tweeting to the police and the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) about the garages operating out of his building, which he said, have not only encroached upon the footpath but have also taken over one full lane of the road. But the authorities have never acted on his complaints, he claimed.

“There are at least six such shops who have extended their area of operation beyond the permissible limit. In the process, they have damaged the footpaths and storm water drains,” he said, adding the cars are washed using machines which causes noise pollution as well.

Meanwhile, perturbed at his complaints, the garage owners offered to soundproof his windows, install an AC, and even pay ₹45,000 to restrain him from tweeting about the issue, Soldier said. “But why should I shut my windows? This is not an industrial area.”

In this case, HT found that the garages were operating in full swing on the road and used the footpath to either park the cars or take them to the shops.

When contacted, Prithviraj Chauhan, assistant commissioner for K West ward, said the inspector (licences) and the assistant engineer for maintenance have been instructed to take immediate action.