Beautification to fight flyover encroachments

NASHIK: The civic body has decided to beautify the open space below the newly constructed flyover on the Mumbai-Agra national highway (NH 3) in a bid to prevent encroachments in the area. The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has invited bids from private parties for the purpose.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) has been invited by the NMC for beautifying the open spaces below the flyover from Garware Point, Mumbai Naka to Late Meenatai Thakare Stadium near KK Wagh Engineering College.
If this project materialises, the city will wear a new look of lush greenery and proper parking. The widespread loss of the green cover in the past few years, along with the chronic problem of parking spaces, has rendered the city a not-so-appealing look.
"The private company will be providing the design, construction, operation and maintenance in lieu of the advertisement rights. We have asked them to submit their plans about beautifying the open spaces," said city engineer Sunil Khune.
The 6.1-km flyover that has been constructed to shorten the distance between Nashik and Mumbai is the second largest elevated corridor in the state and is part of the carriageway from Mumbai to Dhule.
The 1.2-km long flyover from Bytco Point in Nashik Road that was inaugurated in 2001 by the Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, used to be the pride of Nashik and was touted as the first step towards progress. Today, it sports an ugly picture with posters pasted on the walls, small and big vehicles parked in a haphazard manner below it, stinking toilets, makeshift shelters and a huge vegetable market.
Agreeing that the space below the flyover was being misused, Khune said, "The vegetable market thast is set up there is also not legal."
An NMC official said the vendors were being allowed to occupy the space below the flyover for the time being to prevent further misuse of space.
"Initially, the space below the flyover was empty but gradually labourers and other people began using it as shelter during the night. Others began parking their vehicles and littering the from the Bytco Point side of the flyover. To prevent further littering of the entire stretch, we decided to allow the vegetable market in the area for the time being," said the official.
During his public address for the assembly election in October, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had mentioned about speaking to a businessman about developing the place below the flyover into a garden for the citizens.
If everything falls in place, the new flyover will wear a greener and cleaner appearance than the one that has been done up at the Nashik-Pune Road.
Voices -
People park vehicles below the flyover, sit there to pass time, beggars make homes here... Cleanliness is a major issue at the open spaces below the flyover. Beautification is a good idea but it has to be maintained.
- Seeble Sonawane, entrepreneur
Generally, the space below the flyovers is misused. Look at what happened below the flyover at Nashik Road. Beautification is fine. Paid parking can also be considered as parking is a major problem in the city.
- Pallavi Pandit, employee at a travel company
In Surat I saw beautiful gardens, lawns and plantation with grills so that vehicles do not enter the open space below the flyover and there is no encroachment. People park their vehicles elsewhere and sit in the gardens. The flyovers can have parking in half the space and gardens in other half.
- Rahul Bajaj, chartered accountant
There are construction labourers already below the flyover ahead of Dwarka. The flyover should not be damaged with pipes, cables, hoardings etc. If they want to beautify the space below the flyover it should be totally green, no more concrete structures.
- Aashish Lakariya, businessman