Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha
He said at least 300 people use the ground daily. Every day, between 300 and 500 people play here from 6am onwards.
He said there are at least two alternative sites available for the substation—a railway plot across the road from the ground and a site in Girgaum Chowpatty where work had previously commenced for an underground substation. Lodha said nearly all members of the committee had agreed to consider the alternative sites. Since alternatives are available, our request is that this ground be preserved for public use,” he said. Lodha said he had held discussions with MMRDA officials and senior members of the committee on the issue. A joint meeting will be convened after Diwali to arrive at a final solution, he said. Lodha said the project should be completed on schedule but stressed that infrastructure development should not come at the cost of public open spaces.
Lodha met Mumbai city additional collector Bappasaheb Thorat and resident officer Shivananda Langdapure, along with several locals, and asked the district administration to preserve the playground at Mafatlal Gymkhana for public use. A high-power committee had proposed setting up the substation on the volleyball ground. “Volleyball is a sport played by ordinary citizens. The Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground tunnel is a major infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity and easing traffic congestion in south Mumbai.
Mumbai: Amid citizens raising alarm over loss of public spaces in the city for infrastructure projects, BJP minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Tuesday urged the authorities to reconsider the plan to set up an electrical substation on a volleyball ground in Girgaum Chowpatty for the Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground road tunnel project.