BMC plans garden on 40-acre Dahisar plot

Shoulder: Largest open space in the suburbs

Strap: Civic body will pay AAI ₹472.70 crore for the land, earlier marked for Metro car shed

Mumbai: In an open space-starved city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plan to develop a garden on a 40-acre plot in Dahisar – the largest yet in suburban Mumbai -- comes as a whiff of fresh air.

Municipal commissioner I S Chahal, on Thursday, has communicated with the chairperson of Airport Authority of India (AAI), Sanjeev Kumar, to hand over the Dahisar (East) plot in its possession to start the project. At the moment, AAI’s transmission centre stands on the piece of land, which will eventually be shifted to Gorai.

The plot of land was earlier marked out to build a Metro car shed for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), but eventually, the latter had no use of it when the Union government agreed to swap it for another plot at Gorai.

“Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have resolved the issue of Dahisar plot. BMC will buy the land from AAI for approximately ₹473 crore,” said Chahal.

Chahal’s letter (a copy is in possession of HT) to AAI, underlines how high frequency communication equipment installed by the authority at its plots in Andheri (West), Juhu and Dahisar led to restrictions on commercial activity in the vicinity. The municipal commissioner referenced a notification issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, dated December 19, 2020, on height restrictions around the location of the high frequency communication equipment, which had resulted in stalling a number of redevelopment and slum rehabilitation projects.

Harking back to history, the letter also states the union cabinet’s approval to transfer 40 acres of the AAI land at Dahisar to MMRDA for the Metro car shed, and subsequently, the swap with a similar piece of land in Gorai.

According to the agreement between the state and central authorities, MMRDA had agreed to pay the difference in cost of the Dahisar land, adhering to the ready reckoner rate of 2016-17, which is ₹472.70 crore.

“MMRDA does not need the plot, so we will develop the garden here,” said Chahal, adding that BMC will use only 40 acres of the 58-acre AAI plot.

In his letter, Chahal has also asked AAI to confirm the ₹472.70 crore to be paid by the civic body, adhering to the cabinet approval chaired by the prime minister. He has also asked AAI to remove all the equipment.

HT’s efforts to reach out to AAI chairperson Sanjeev Kumar were futile, as he did not respond to this correspondent’s messages.