Mumbai: The plot of land that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to dereserve adjoining Veer Jijamata Udyan based on state government’s intervention that was earlier earmarked for Byculla zoo expansion was an error as it is a private property.
This plot measuring 1,375 sq m (14,800 sq ft) is a ground plus one storey building which is over 45 years old and belongs to a private plot owner but it was erroneously reserved as a garden in the Development Plan (DP) 2034, as a part of the Byculla zoo expansion plan. This building is in the same line adjoining the BMC’s penguin enclosure building.
A civic official from BMC’s DP department shared, “This was an error in the DP and usually, such errors keep happening. Sometimes a ramp gets marked as a DP road. It doesn’t mean we convert the ramp into a road. Also, the private owner had approached the state government to rectify this error,” said a civic official from BMC’s DP department.
“The BMC has submitted a report to the government based on facts and has invited suggestions and objections from the public. Then another report will be sent to the government where it will be ascertained that it is private property and it is a valid case for deletion,” said the civic official.
When queried whether suggestions and objections from the public can be invited for a private plot of land for dereservation, he said, “Suggestions and objections are invited for any private plot with a DP reservation as the sanction is from DP. They will be heard and if there is merit, cognizance will be taken or else it will be overruled,” said the civic official.
Explaining the DP process on rectification, he shared, “Until 2018, when the DP 2034 was formulated only municipal commissioners were empowered to make the rectification of errors. But after the DP 2034 was finalised the affected parties have to send their objections for deletion of the reservation to the urban development department who in turn will forward it to the BMC.”
The DP 2034 is the city’s blueprint for 20 years. The Byculla zoo boasts of homey new enclosures for birds and several other creatures, including reptiles, penguins with the most outstanding walk-through aviary housing over 100 birds with 21 species and still vaunts the most wide-ranging aviary in the whole of Asia.