31 August,2026 07:39 AM IST | Mumbai | Eeshanpriya MS
The plot in Sherly Rajan Road, off Carter Road, which is being used to store cement sacks, steel rods, and machinery. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Bandra residents have sought action from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) against a road contractor for allegedly occupying an open plot reserved for a garden on Sherly Rajan Road, off Carter Road, Bandra West.
According to the residents, the plot has been used since January as the contractor's site office, and storage area for road construction material, including cement sacks, steel rods, and machinery.
The civic body had acquired the plot from a private party around two years ago, and it has been reserved as a garden under the Development Plan 2034. Residents said the open space was meant to be developed for community use but has instead been occupied by construction material.
Residents said that the civic officials had assured them that the space would be reclaimed before the monsoon. However, Zakaria told mid-day on Thursday that no action had been taken. An official from the BMC's H/West ward said, "We will look into the issue and reinstate the garden space."
Residents said the open space has traditionally been used by children from neighbouring buildings, the Gaothan area, and adjoining slums for recreational activities and sports such as cricket, football, and volleyball. "This falls in the Gaothan area. The front portion is dotted by residential buildings, and the inside has row houses and cottages of the Bandra village. There is a Baudh Temple nearby. So apart from sporting activities such as cricket and football, it is used by the temple for events," the resident said.
After the issue was first raised in February, former Congress corporator Asif Zakaria had written to the BMC on February 20, 2026, urging the civic body to make the plot "accessible to citizens for recreation rather than being diverted for use by a contractor for operational convenience." Zakaria also sought an enquiry into how and under whose approval the reserved garden plot was permitted for contractor use. He sought an immediate clearance and restoration of the plot for public use.
A resident said the plot was used to create an artificial pond during Ganesh visarjan last year. However, the material used to construct the pond has allegedly not been removed. "BMC dug up the premises of the ground and installed the pond, which it fortified this with sacks of sand. Once the pond was uninstalled, BMC did not even care to remove the sacks," said the resident.
