MCZMA approves sports complex in Cuffe Parade
MCZMA approves setting up a state-of-the-art sports complex in South Mumbai with football, basketball, volleyball courts, jogging track, and more at Cuffe Parade.
Mumbai: South Mumbai will soon get a sea-facing, state-of-the-art sports complex equipped with football, basketball and volleyball courts, a multi utility ground with floodlights, a jogging track and a cafetaria as the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has approved the state sports department’s proposal to set up a Taluka Sports Complex at Cuffe Parade.
The complex, which will be built in coastal regulatory zone-II at a cost of ₹7 crore, will be open to children from the slums as well as high rise buildings, and plans are afoot to construct a bridge connecting the NCPA with Cuffe Parade so more people can access it.
Colaba legislator and assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar said the sports complex would be located at Bay View Garden in Backbay Reclamation scheme number three in Cuffe Parade. “We have all approvals in place and we already started work on the project,” said Narwekar.”
The state sports department’s proposal notes that the plot measuring 3,648.03 square metre already has two football courts measuring 720 square metre each. In addition, it envisages a basketball court measuring 540 square metre, an open gym measuring 138 square metre, an open yoga centre measuring 58 square metre as well as separate male and female changing rooms.
“The facility will be open to children from the slums as well as high rises,” a sports department officer said. Cuffe Parade has a large number of slum settlements such as Macchimagar Nagar, Geeta Nagar and Ganesh Murti Nagar. Several slum settlements are located in the neighbouring Colaba too.
The MCZMA, while clearing the proposal in its meeting dated February 5, observed that all open spaces, parks, gardens, playgrounds within coastal regulatory zone-II as per the development plan are categorised as ‘no development zone’. As per the 2019 coastal regulatory zone notification, construction is permitted in such zones only on 15% of the plot area, that too for creating civic amenities such as stadiums and gymnasiums for recreational/ sports-related activities, minutes of the meeting said.
The MCZMA asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to ensure that construction for the proposed sports complex is within the 15% limit and reiterated that residential or commercial use of such open spaces is not permissible.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority plans to construct a bridge from NCPA to Cuffe Parade to enable other people from south Mumbai to access the complex.
A senior officer with the sports department hoped the proposed complex would remain in government hands and no restrictions would be imposed on its use. “Earlier too, the government had shown interest in developing sports complexes. We developed a district sports complex in Dharavi spending crores of rupees, with the motive that slum children would utilise the facilities. But now, it has been handed over to a private entity and restrictions have been imposed on its use by common people. We must ensure that such misuse does not happen here.” he cautioned.
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