Road widening won’t find a mention in the Mumbai’s draft DP

Road-widening proposals and RLs (they mark the width of existing roads) were mentioned in the draft released in February 2015, which received criticism, with various citizens objecting to their building compounds, trees and other existing structures being affected.

After the tremendous flak it received for the incorrect markings in the draft Development Plan (DP), the civic body has decided not to make ‘extra’ information on the plan public. What this means is that you will now be able to see only the basic markings in the draft DP 2034, as seen in the current road survey updated on the website. So road lines (RLs) and widening of existing roads will not be visible — a dangerous sign because citizens will not know if their property will be affected by these proposed projects.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters . (HT file)

Road-widening proposals and RLs (they mark the width of existing roads) were mentioned in the draft released in February 2015, which received criticism, with various citizens objecting to their building compounds, trees and other existing structures being affected.

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According to a civic official, who did not wish to be named, omitting this information means the roads can be widened without any mention of it in the DP. Another civic official, however, said this was a routine practise and even the 1991 DP did not mark RLs and road-widening projects.

The civic body also specified it will not be liable to acquire private layout roads marked in the DP.

A civic official, requesting anonymity, said, “This decision was taken to avoid criticism. The roads can still be widened if the traffic department demands it and the traffic police grant the necessary permissions. There was no mention of road-widening projects in the 1991 DP and we made a mistake by incorporating it in the February 2015 draft.”

“The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act empowers the civic body to take a call on the widening of existing roads and road lines. A road is widened after a proper traffic survey is carried out and permissions from the traffic police department are received,” said civic chief Ajoy Mehta.

The Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI), executive director, Pankaj Joshi, said, “This information should be shown in the DP so that people know if their property is affected by a road-widening proposal.”