E-Paper
Will restore Gaondevi Maidan status once parking project completed: Thane civic body assures High Court
Following a petition filed by a Thane-based activist against the underground parking project at Gaondevi Maidan, the TMC has assured the Bombay High Court that it
Following a petition filed by a Thane-based activist against the underground parking project at Gaondevi Maidan, the TMC has assured the Bombay High Court that it would restore the historical ground to its previous status after the work is completed. The court had also asked the corporation to implement the Pay and Park policy across the city in the near future.
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) had proposed the first underground parking in the city to be developed below the Gaondevi ground, an open space in the heart of the city, the work for which began few months ago. Hundreds of vehicles, which at present have no space to park near Thane station, can use the facility.
However, Thane-based activist, Mahesh Bedekar, had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) last year against this parking project in the Bombay High Court in April this year. He claimed that while he had no wish to stall the project, the parking would destroy this prominent open space in Thane city.
Bedekar said, “The corporation has given an undertaking to the court that it will restore the ground as per its previous status after the parking is constructed. Based on this undertaking, the court has disposed of the petition and asked us to file a fresh appeal in case the corporation did not abide by it. Not abiding by the undertaking will be contempt of court.”
The ground is near the station and used by youngsters, children and senior citizens. It also has a historical significance as popular leaders have held rallies here for decades.
The underground parking will cater to approximately 250 vehicles, which at present, are parked along the congested station roads, claimed the TMC.
A civic official requesting anonymity said, “The ground will be restored after the work is completed. The parking is underground. After construction of parking, the soil will be backfilled over the top slab. It will be levelled with the existing ground level. We have already mentioned the same in the affidavit that we have submitted to the court.”
He informed that about 40 per cent of the underground parking work is completed. The entire project will be completed by June 2021.
The corporation had initiated a Pay-and-Park facility on 166 roads across the city. However, no agency took up the tender following which the policy was shelved.
Bedekar said, “We have appealed to the court that the corporation implements the pay and park policy on the city roads. The court has asked us to follow this up with a fresh affidavit in future if the policy was not implemented.”
The civic official added, “The decision regarding the revival of parking policy will have to be taken by the civic commissioner. We have tried several times to call for tenders for Pay-and-Park, however there was no response due to which it was shelved last year.”
BOX
ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND PARKING
** The underground parking will be developed on an area of 7,000sqm.
** It will have space to park 130 cars and 120 two-wheelers.
** This will be a Pay-and-Park parking facility and the first plaza near Thane station by the corporation.
** The cost of the project is around ₹26Cr.
2nd BOX
PARKING WOES NEAR THANE STATION
** No authorised four-wheeler parking available near Thane station.
** Parking facility available only for two-wheelers which is operated by private player.
** The parking rate varies from ₹20 to ₹50 per hour.
** Gaondevi ground is reserved as a playground, so parking is strictly prohibited on this ground.
** People who visit the station for shopping or catch a train face parking problems in the area.
3rd BOX
ABOUT PARKING POLICY
** In 2008, the TMC conducted an integrated traffic survey based on which the parking policy was formulated in 2014. The policy is based on National Urban Transport Policy, whose main aim was to free up roads for vehicles and increase parking charges to encourage the use of public transport.
** The policy was supposed to be implemented in 2015. The corporation was supposed to start smart parking on more than 166 roads, wherein commuters will get information on vacant parking on their smart phones.
** However, the corporation did not find any agency who was ready to provide smart parking facility in the city. Thus, the pay and park was stalled for years. The corporation is now contemplating to remove the smart parking and float tenders for basic pay and park facilities last year.
