Ex-sheriff challenges BMC nod to cell tower in garden

Ex-sheriff challenges BMC nod to cell tower in garden
Former Mumbai sheriff and the son of Late filmmaker V Shantaram, Kiran Shantaram, has challenged the civic body's permission to Reliance Jio to erect 4G cell towers in a garden opposite his Parel society. Shantaram said it was against the health interests of the residents and the permission was given without seeking their consent.

His petition claims to represent the interests of about 1,500 residents, who live in eight buildings and an adjoining locality.

According to the petition, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) permitted Reliance to erect 4G towers in the V Shantaram Balodyan opposite their compound. The permission was granted in February.

It further added that the garden was full of tall trees, many of them decades old and home to many species of birds. “As per the existing layout of the garden, it is impossible to erect the cell tower unless major changes are made and the layout is damaged,“ said the petition.

“The state government had issued a notification in March last year, making it mandatory for BMC to seek consent of residents. The civic body, however, never even approached the residents,“ it alleged.

Moreover, the petition claimed, the garden has come about in that area after the erstwhile Rajkamal Studio was asked to surrender an open plot as a ground in exchange of permissions to develop the property commercially. The studio was built by the legendary filmmaker V Shantaram father in 1940s.The garden is about 1841 sqm, almost as big as the society housing the eight buildings.

“A children's park on a land that was got free of cost and free of encumbrances by the BMC is being given at a throw­away consideration to a commercial organisation for exploitation with complete indifference to hazards to residents and without even attempting to seek or know their opinion,“ read the petition.

It also stated that BMC's own primary health centre has been built right near the open space and a cell tower in the same space would be against the state government's March notification. The petition will be heard in due course.