Citizens group opposes plan for underground parking beneath Mumbai's open spaces

Urban planners have opposed the building of an underground complex beneath the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. FILE PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI

NAGAR, a citizens-led non-governmental organisation, has opposed the state government's proposal to allow the construction of underground parking facilities beneath Mumbai's public open spaces, arguing that the move undermines critical environmental infrastructure that supports flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, and urban cooling.

In a letter written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on July 15, a copy of which is with mid-day, NAGAR has urged that the government that no construction, including underground structures, should be permitted under public open spaces.

Stating that the proposal to permit such construction directly contradicts the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Rs 13,000-crore integrated flood-mitigation master plan with several nature-based solutions to abate flooding, such as mangrove and wetland restoration, creating bioretention systems and bio-swales for water management and groundwater recharge, developing permeable pavements, and creating urban parks and green corridors for flood mitigation and ecological resilience.

The letter states that open-to-sky public open spaces without any construction offer natural permeability facilitating rainwater infiltration, temporary stormwater storage, groundwater recharge, and the attenuation of peak runoff during extreme rainfall events. Constructing beneath them would convert them into impermeable surfaces that cannot absorb rainwater.

Arguments against concreting open spaces

1 Converting open spaces into impermeable surfaces would result in reduced evaporative cooling and shade as concreting limits evapotranspiration and tree canopy, reducing their natural cooling capacity

2 Loss of trees and vegetation due to restricted soil depth and root space can adversely affect tree health and longevity

3 Increased surface and ambient temperatures as impermeable materials absorb and retain more heat intensify the urban heat island effect and raise local temperatures

4 Higher cooling energy demand and heat stress due to elevated ambient temperatures increase cooling requirements, energy consumption, and the risk of heat-related illnesses

The NGO

Established in 2000, NAGAR (NGO Alliance for Governance and Renewal) works across a range of urban issues, including the preservation of public open spaces, protection of built and natural heritage, and water conservation.

Trustee Speak

Nayana Kathpalia, trustee, NAGAR
‘We want to draw the government's attention to the fact that permitting underground parking lots under open spaces is counter-productive to the other plans they have to facilitate nature-based solutions and abate flooding'

Last large natural ground

In February, a group of 102 architects and urban planners under the aegis of Mumbai Architects Collective wrote to the chief minister, opposing the development of a complex beneath Mahalaxmi Racecourse, as part of the plan to create a 300-acre public park. Terming it "a disaster unfolding in real time", the letter stated, "We are opposed to building underground complexes beneath one of the city's last large, natural, flood-absorbing grounds - in a city that is already chronically short of open space and increasingly vulnerable to flooding."

NAGAR recommends that…

Public open spaces should:
>> Be open to the sky
>> Lack any built construction, particularly using cement, concrete, and metal
>> Have a permeable ground cover

The letter proposes...

1 Addressing parking needs through alternative planning approaches that are environmentally responsible and climate-resilient
2 Prioritising parking beneath roads, transport hubs, public buildings, and other built-up areas

[popcorn number="Rs 13,000 crore" desc="Cost of integrated flood mitigation master plan" class="Default"]