For the city’s green activists, New Year celebrations began early, after the BMC Improvements Committee shot down a proposal to turn the Siri Road walkway in Malabar Hill into a motorable road on Tuesday. This is likely to be only a brief respite, however, as the committee chairman plans to present the proposal again.

While those opposed to this project vow to fight till the end, it is past time that the authorities and political parties learnt to respect the wishes of the people. Even when certain proposals meet public outcry in the initial stages, or are later rejected by the authorities (like the Siri walkway plan), fresh attempts are made to reintroduce the same plans with a few cosmetic twists. Eternal vigilance is the only solution to this, but at times, even the most stubborn activism will eventually wear down in the face of persistent political muscle.