Illegally parked cars removed, Aarey flyover turns dumpyard

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) may have gotten the vehicles parked illegally under flyovers removed. But it now has a new headache to handle. The area under the flyover near Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon (East) is being used as a dumping yard for leftover construction material.

Dumping ground: The area under the flyover near Aarey Milk Colony where mud and construction debris have been dumped

When MiD DAY visited the site on Monday, several piles of mud, paver blocks, cement blocks and other debris were seen lying in the area from where the vehicles had been removed. When we tried to speak to a private security guard posted under the flyover to know who was responsible for the act, the security guard refused to comment.

A local, requesting anonymity, said, "I was happy to see that the parking of cars, private buses, rickshaws and taxis has stopped. But I am shocked to see this waste here. This is an issue of concern as shanties might also come up soon here."

It should be noted that MSRDC had come out with a public notice under the Development Control Rules and Regulations, asking those who had parked their vehicles below the 11 flyovers in Mumbai and Thane to remove them at the earliest, else have them forcibly taken away by the MSRDC. The body took the said action at 8-9 flyovers, Aarey Milk Colony being one of the sites. On Monday, however, there were still some auto rickshaws under the south end of the flyover that were yet to be removed.

The decision came as the agency is following orders issued by the Bombay High Court. In August 2009, the Urban Development department had issued a General Resolution banning parking of vehicles below all flyovers throughout the state. The HC directive followed the resolution in 2009 itself. Yet in 2010, the MSRDC called for bids from contractors to allow pay-and-park facilities below the bridges.

Official speaks
Jaydutt Kshirsagar, the MSRDC chairman and also state minister for PWD (commercial undertakings), said, "At this moment, I cannot comment on the issue, as I will have to get information from the concerned authorities. However, if any dumping is taking place, then I will instruct the authorities and ask them to make sure it does not happen."u00a0