Mumbai: Amid citizens raising alarm over loss of public spaces in the city for infrastructure projects, BJP minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Tuesday urged the authorities to reconsider the plan to set up an electrical substation on a volleyball ground in Girgaum Chowpatty for the Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground road tunnel project. He said at least 300 people use the ground daily.Lodha met Mumbai city additional collector Bappasaheb Thorat and resident officer Shivananda Langdapure, along with several locals, and asked the district administration to preserve the playground at Mafatlal Gymkhana for public use. He said there are at least two alternative sites available for the substation—a railway plot across the road from the ground and a site in Girgaum Chowpatty where work had previously commenced for an underground substation.A high-power committee had proposed setting up the substation on the volleyball ground. Lodha said nearly all members of the committee had agreed to consider the alternative sites.“Volleyball is a sport played by ordinary citizens. Every day, between 300 and 500 people play here from 6am onwards. Since alternatives are available, our request is that this ground be preserved for public use,” he said.Lodha said he had held discussions with MMRDA officials and senior members of the committee on the issue. A joint meeting will be convened after Diwali to arrive at a final solution, he said.The Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground tunnel is a major infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity and easing traffic congestion in south Mumbai. Lodha said the project should be completed on schedule but stressed that infrastructure development should not come at the cost of public open spaces.Mafatlal Gymkhana, formally known as P M Hindu Bath Swimming Bath and Boat Club Trust, is a charitable institution that was established in 1939 and inaugurated by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. With around 44,000 members, the institution provides access to sports and health facilities to more than 3,000 citizens every day.
