Encroachments and poor maintenance take a toll on Borivli’s green spaces

Natural endowments are conferred in plenty on RCentral ward. It has the sea in the west and the sprawling, salubrious national park in the east. Little wonder then that it ranks 12th in the TOIIMRB survey and its residents express considerable satisfaction with their quality of life. But alongside the contentment exists growing discontent over the declining state of public transport, roads and open spaces.
Spanning the areas of Borivli and Gorai and spread over an area of 50 sq km, R-Central has more than 5.6 lakh inhabitants. “One major problem in this ward is the mediocre town planning. It has resulted in narrow roads, congested approach roads and dearth of footpaths. If one compares, a stark difference would be found between the real state of the roads in this ward and roads on the maps according to the town planning scheme,” says Reeta Dadarkar, an activist and a resident of Chikoowadi in Borivli (West).
Several locals and activists lament the cost exacted by illegalities and unchecked growth in R-Central. They allege that many water bodies in Chikoowadi and Gorai have been filled and covered by builders. They say they have complained often to the authorities about the increasing encroachments in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, but to no avail. They also say that some private properties were taken over for road-widening, but the projects never took off, leaving the affected residents high and dry.
Dadarkar contends that, over the years, illegal modifications have been made to many roads and sewerage lines to make way for high-rises.
Adding to the region’s decline, many of its green lungs, including numerous gardens, have been poorly maintained. “For the proper maintenance of open spaces, the basic requirement is a monitoring committee, which does not exist in our ward. Many such spaces are now being encroached upon, while civic officials turn a blind eye,” says Meera Kamath, an activist and a resident of Borivli (West).
Borivli railway station is another cause for despair. Outside it, commuters struggle every day to find autos. “What makes matters worse is the labyrinth of horribly regulated oneway routes. The state transport bus stand on MG Road, outside the station’s east side, lends to traffic snarlups because the road is heavily encroached upon and has little space for vehicles or pedestrians,” says Krishnaraj Rao, a resident of Kulupwadi in Borivli (East). Both MG Road and Kasturba Road on the station’s east lead to the Western Express Highway and are congested, especially during peak hours.
Vehicular build-up is also regular outside the gate of the ward’s distinct attraction, the national park. “Hundreds of people enter the park every morning for their walk. They illegally leave their vehicles outside the gate on the highway. This daily leads to traffic congestion till the vehicles are cleared. Yet, no action is taken,” adds Rao.
Residents protest about the negligent attitude of municipal officials and their elected representatives. “Why aren’t MLA funds being spent on health facilities? There is a need for a multi-speciality healthcare centre in Borivli that is accessible to people from all economic sections of society. Taxpayers’ money needs to be used more wisely,” says Kamath.
‘WIDEN ROADS URGENTLY TO CURB TRAFFIC CONGESTION’
The many narrow roads of R-Central need to be widened on a priority basis if the administration actively wants to curb the traffic congestion in the ward.
Activist Krishnaraj Rao noted that both MG Road and Kasturba Road, which connect Borivli station’s east side to the Western Express Highway, are narrow and encroached upon. “Municipal officials should move the hawkers on these roads to another area and start widening the stretches. Else, commuters’ woes will not lessen,” he added. Civic officials told TOI that two SRA projects are currently underway on the two roads and that the corporation is waiting for a final nod before initiating the widening.
Assistant municipal commissioner Vijayanand Bole said that other projects are in motion too in R-Central. “We have sent notices to 160 parties on SV Road in preparation for its widening. In the past, we extended the width of Chandawarkar Lane, Devidas Lane and RM Bhattad Road in Borivli (West).” Apart from SV Road, some smaller roads in Borivli (West) and (East) will be widened in the next few years, Bole said.
Residents pointed out that Link Road, running from Bandra to Borivli (West), often gets jammed during peak hours. To address this problem, MLA Gopal Shetty and municipal officials have proposed flyovers on the stretch. “There are a series of signals on Link Road that cause major jams during peak hours. We have proposed constructing flyovers to reduce this congestion,” said Shetty. — Shreya Bhandary