Garden reservation may be junked to enable Jogeshwari temple revamp

The proposal, which will require a modification to Mumbai’s Development Plan 2034 under Section 37 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, is based on a request from the temple trust, Shrimad Bharat Mandali, and a recommendation by MLA Ameet Satam

MUMBAI: Yet another proposal seeking to delete the reservation of an open space in Jogeshwar’s Ambivali in the K-West ward was tabled before the civic improvements committee on Friday, triggering strong opposition from members of the opposition parties. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed deleting a 1,840-square-metre portion of a Garden and Park reservation from a plot in Ambivali, K-West ward, where the Lakshminarayan Temple is located, and incorporating the land into the adjoining residential zone.

iMumbai, India - August 16, 2026: A view of the Laxmi Narayan Temple at Andheri west in mumbai, India, on Sunday, August 16, 2026. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The proposal, which will require a modification to Mumbai’s Development Plan 2034 under Section 37 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, is based on a request from the temple trust, Shrimad Bharat Mandali, and a recommendation by MLA Ameet Satam.

The plot, bearing C.S. No. 34 (Part), village Ambivali, has a total area of 2,278.90 sq m under the ROS 1.5 reservation. Of this, around 1,840 sq m is occupied by the existing Lakshminarayan Temple.

According to the proposal, the temple trust has sought deletion of the reservation to facilitate reconstruction of the existing temple, which it claims is in a dilapidated condition. The trust has also pointed to the growing number of devotees visiting the temple and the need for additional space to accommodate religious and social activities.

The land has carried different reservations in successive Development Plans. Under the 1967 Development Plan, it was reserved for a playground. During the survey for the revised plan in 2012, the plot was shown partly under Social Amenity and partly as a Slum Cluster. Under the 1991 Development Plan, it was reserved as a Recreation Ground.

In the Development Plan 2034, the plot is designated under Garden and Park, forming part of a larger reservation. The plot is also affected by a Development Plan road and is situated within a residential zone.

A site inspection by the K/West Ward revealed that the site currently has a ground-floor temple structure. Civic officials subsequently asked the applicants to submit documents, including the valuation report, water and electricity bills, trust registration details, a Total Station survey and the property card.

The civic proposal notes that the property has been recorded in the name of Shrimad Bharat Mandali on the Property Card for several decades. It also cites the social activities undertaken by the trust as a factor in considering its request. The proposal now seeks approval to initiate the Section 37(1) process for deleting the 1,840 sq m reservation and incorporating the freed land into the residential zone. The process would involve inviting suggestions and objections from the public and conducting hearings on the representations received.

While the proposal was not taken up by the committee for discussion on Friday, it will be re-tabled at the next meeting and approved by the ruling alliance. However, opposition parties are shocked at the rate at which deletion of open-space reservations is being demanded to facilitate residential zoning. “Let there be a temple and continue to do good service, but what’s the need to delete a garden reservation and convert it into a residential zone and open up real estate potential on that plot?” Ashraf Azmi, Congress group leader in the BMC, told HT.

Vishaka Raut, a veteran corporator from Shiv Sena (UBT), said, “What’s the point of asking for suggestions and objections while drafting the development plan in 2018 if they are just on a deletion spree now? This whole exercise of asking for views from citizens was a farce and these proposals for deletions are mainly coming from politicians in the ruling alliance, which never get rejected,” said Raut.

If approved, the proposal will subsequently be forwarded to the Urban Development Department of the Maharashtra government for final approval under Section 37(2) of the MRTP Act.

The proposed change is significant as the land has remained under different public-purpose reservations in successive Development Plans for decades. The civic administration will therefore have to complete the statutory modification process before the proposed change in land-use designation can take effect.