Make DP maps citizen-friendly: Activists to BMC

UDRI REQUESTED BMC TO UPLOAD FULL MAP OF CITY, INCLUDING BOTH EXCLUDED AND SANCTIONED PARTS OF THE DP

MUMBAI: With a day left for suggestions and objections to the island city maps, the city-based Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) has written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to make them more people-friendly by republishing the Development Plan (DP) maps with complete landuse plans.

The BMC had uploaded the DP sheets (ward-wise maps) for the island city on July 5, followed by those for western and eastern suburbs were on mcgm.gov.in or www.mcgm.gov.in. DP has been divided into two parts – sanctioned (the one prepared after including the objections and suggestions) and the excluded part or EP. UDRI has requested authorities to upload the entire map which included both excluded and sanctioned part to gauge full implications.

In addition, certain recurring errors and inconsistencies have also created confusion among citizens. For instance, maps have different colours to denote sea; public parking lots have been deleted and traffic islands incorrectly represented. In many cases, existing open spaces are marked as residential areas. For example, Willlingdon Sports Club has been marked in white in the new map, indicating it as a residential area. The white mark in the map means that the area can be constructed. However, BMC has asked citizens not to panic and take assistance of a help desk set up in their headquarters. “Citizens should not panic as these are clerical errors and will be rectified. We have found out nearly 5,000 clerical errors such as wrong colour showing residential and open spaces, areas marked in the sea. All these errors will be rectified,” said a senior civic official on the condition of anonymity.

Citizens can send their suggestions and objections for island city maps till August 5, followed by August 15 for western suburbs and till August 24 for eastern suburbs maps.