Powai Residents Raise Red Flag Over Mega Projects, Demand Coordinated Planning

Mumbai, Powai:  Around 125 residents from Powai and Chandivali gathered at Lake Castle Podium, Hiranandani, on Sunday to express concerns over two major infrastructure projects that they claim are progressing without adequate public consultation and could place an unsustainable burden on the area’s civic infrastructure and environment.

The meeting, organised as a public awareness initiative, focused on the proposed Project Affected Persons (PAP) rehabilitation scheme comprising 11 rehabilitation towers and a 30,000-seat Global Capability Centre (GCC), along with the proposed IT Park/Data Centre development featuring service apartments, residential bungalows and a star hotel. Residents said the projects, in their present form, could significantly impact traffic, water supply, emergency access, ecological balance and overall quality of life.

Pamela Cheema, Convener of the Powai Advance Locality Management (ALM), said Powai’s infrastructure is already under considerable strain and cannot support developments of such magnitude without comprehensive planning.

“These projects are unsustainable in a densely populated locality like Powai. Traffic congestion is already severe, and the ecological impact of hill cutting is another major concern,” she said while addressing the gathering.

The discussion also referred to a Free Press Journal report published on July 30, which highlighted concerns over hill cutting for the rehabilitation project. Environmental groups had warned that the activity could increase the risk of landslides and flooding, noting that the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had identified slope stability and landslide hazards that required detailed risk assessment.

Responding to the concerns, a spokesperson for BH Sharma, the project proponent, maintained that environmental safeguards had been integrated into the planning process. The spokesperson said the EIA had assessed slope stability, geology, drainage, water resources, traffic, air quality, noise levels, green cover and ecological impacts before statutory clearances were sought.

However, residents maintained that their opposition was not to development itself but to the absence of meaningful public participation and integrated planning.

“Residents are not against development. They are asking for responsible development. Families have spent decades building their lives in Powai and deserve to know how projects of this scale will affect traffic, water availability, emergency access, infrastructure and the environment. People are frustrated because they feel they are being asked to bear the consequences of decisions in which they have had little say,” said Milan Bhat of Powai ALM.

Participants urged authorities to ensure transparent public consultations, undertake comprehensive traffic and environmental assessments, and adopt coordinated planning before granting approvals for projects that could have long-term consequences for Powai and Chandivali’s infrastructure and ecology.