Monumental makeover is on
Sharad Vyas
Steering away from controversies surrounding it since it was proposed two
years ago, the Gateway of India beautification project is finally set to
begin by mid-March.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s standing committee cleared
the controversial plan on Wednesday even as a handful of members raised
doubts about the availability of parking space. The parking area around the
monument and its precinct will cease to exist as per the plan.
PK Das, the architect appointed by the Indian National Trust for Arts and
Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for the project, told DNA that a traffic study
conducted by experts has revealed that most vehicles coming to gateway are
Taj-bound and tourist buses form a minuscule segment of vehicular traffic in
this area.
“The Taj hotel is misusing its allotted basement parking space and using it
for commercial purposes. This in turn has created chaos in the area. In any
case, the beautification plan will not cater to the private and commercial
establishment,” said Das.
The architect, however, refused to divulge further details about the study
and said that traffic in any case is not part of the first phase and a
proposed underground parking by the BMC at the Regal theatre will address
the woes triggered thereafter.
However, Joint commissioner of police (traffic), Satish Mathur said that he
is not aware of any such traffic study. Mathur added that the Taj is no
longer using its basement for commercial purpose.
“I am not aware of any study or the plan. No doubt about the fact that the
traffic coming toward the monument is due to commercial establishments like
Taj but the civic authorities have assured us that the Taj is no longer
using the basement for commercial purposes. In fact, we have limited the
vehicular entry near the monument.”
The Rs. 4.58 crore first-phase of the plan will begin in the second week of
March and will be completed in the ensuing nine months. “A contractor has
already been appointed and we are just waiting for the final formalities to
be cleared by the BMC”, added Das.
Mired in controversies in the past, the plan will be completed in three
phases. In the first phase, the beautification of the gateway plaza and its
precinct will be completed, the second phase will look into the traffic
situation and the roads leading to the monument, the third and final phase
proposes setting of several handicraft shops on the roads leading to the
gateway.
Earlier, the members of the standing committee passed the plan with a
majority vote keeping aside the objection raised a small faction. “The
committee passed the plan under pressure from the contractor, planner and
architect. The plan clearly does not address the parking problem,” said
Mohaseen Haider, of the Samajwadi Party (SP).