Mumbai: Citizen movement at Kurla for green space in neighbourhood

Residents, in solidarity, aimed at preserving the greenery of the land

Nehru Nagar residents in Kurla East initiated a citizen movement called 'Lok Chalwal' to safeguard the old Kurla government milk dairy land for creating a garden and recreation ground. The effort, aimed at preserving greenery and ensuring open space in the area, quickly gained momentum with 999 members in a WhatsApp group, supported by a door-to-door campaign and signature drive. Within a week of its formation, the group garnered 800 members. The 10.4-hectare piece of land earlier used by the government milk dairy at Nehru Nagar Kurla has been lying unused after the dairy shut down nearly a decade ago. The land is placed strategically, sandwiched along the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, LTT Kurla Terminus, Mumbai Metro Yellow Line 2B and the harbour line of the suburban railway. State government officials said that at an MMRDA meeting in December 2023, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appointed MMRDA as the special planning authority for the dairy development land at Kurla and Worli. Sources said MMRDA is looking to monetise land to finance infrastructure projects by building a mixed-use mini-BKC development plan of residential and commercial development at the site.

"There are around 800 to 900 trees on the plot now. If the mini-BKC project is implemented, we will lose all the tree cover and in addition, we'll find a crowded neighbourhood in the future with 25-30 per cent more people," local residents Kiran Pailwan and Jitendra Kamble, said. "At present, the focus is to gather 10,000 signatures and create an awareness campaign for which we are going door to door to alert residents and are getting a good response," says residents Vidya Ingawale and Shilpa Pailwan.

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Residents during a door-to-door campaign and awareness drive

"Instead of building a cement forest on the site of the old mother dairy, our movement is trying to gather the strength of the people's co-operation to make a beautified park at that site for the health of the Nehru Nagar residents. The aim is to make our neighbourhood greener together," residents Vinod Tiwari and Anil Sale said.

"Lok Chalwal is above all caste, religion, language, class and party bias. The only focus is to get back our green space," said another resident Harshal Walawalkar.
State government officials said it was MMRDA's mandate to decide on the appropriate usage of land. Local MLA Mangesh Kudalkar said he supported residents and was taking up the issue with the government. "I have raised the issue in the legislative assembly on Wednesday and requested the government to have a sports club or any other such thing for recreational activities for the residents as per demand."

10.4-HA
Area of the land