October 2015 I Issue 42 Free---for Private DistributionPublic Eye Newsletter of Nepean Sea Road Citizens’ Forum Inside This Issue Page 1: Coastal Road : A boon or bust idea? Page 2: A special meeting on Fire Safety Page 3: Our Neighbourhood Celebrity Page 4 and 5: Annual General Meeting Page 6: Keeping a Hawk eye out Page 8: News you can use + Trending Online + Note from the Editor The Interchange at Warden Road has ramps terminating at the junction of St. Stephens Church, which will create a severe bottleneck especially for cars moving North to South. Facts & Figures: COASTAL ROAD: A boon or bust idea? Length of coastal road: The 35.6 km Coastal Road that is proposed to snake along Mumbai's 35.6 kms long with 11.4 kms Western sea front has been vehemently opposed by environmentalists, civic of tunnels groups and protectors of our city's history and culture. For citizens of Nepean 2 underwater tunnels Sea Road, it will mean creating a massive interchange junction over the existing (Nariman Point- Nepean Sea Tata gardens as shown in the image above. Nepean Sea Road Citizens Forum, along with prominent organizations, 18 Kms of land reclam- citizens and institutions held an informative meeting at Priyadarshini Park on ationRoad & Juhu-Versova) Estimated cost Rs. 12,000 the 24th of August and have subsequently submitted signed petitions highlight- crore!! Expected to transport - 120,000 cars / day (almost 4 ing the �laws in the government's plan. Besides eroding our green cover and increasing traf�ic congestion the coastal road will destroy our coastline and be ramp�inancially that willirresponsible. lead off the coastal road and onto Mukesh Chowk. Space limiting, times Massive the existing erosion traf�ic of the on the ForumObjections has asked that where we raised the supports which are for speci�ic the ramp to thewill area, be laid question and how the the sea link) villages, heritage structures city’s coastline, �ishing along the coast and environ- traf�ic isThe expected Interchange to be managed/ Ramps aton Warden a narrow Road band are of shown road that's in the already Coastal Road mental degradation. plansagging as handling under existing about traf�ic42,000 congestion. cars daily in 2014; it's expected to service 76,000 substantially in the area. cars dailyAs residentsin 2044. Experts of NSR, estimate, we need tothis raise will our aggravate voice to traf�ic improve and our pollution own standards of living. For a more detailed analysis of the cost the Coastal Road will have on NSR citizens and the city at large, please visit our website For a copy of the objections petition circulated and signed amongst citizens on NSRCF, write to us at (www.nsrcf.in). of�[email protected]. 1 Coming together is a Begining. Keeping together is Progress. Working together is Success The new fire station is seen as the need The Chief Fire Of�icer Mr. Prabhat Rahangdale, speaks on the importance for local residents to be prepared and know how to extinguish different kinds of �ires. of the hour as FIRE AROUND THE HILL!! RUN RUN RUN!! Nepean Sea In a special annual function for members, NSRCF invited Mr. Sanjay Road doesn’t Deshmukh, Additional Commissioner, MCGM and Special Invitee Mr. Prabhat have a fire station close HangingRahangdale, Gardens Chief as Fire suggested Of�icer. in NSRCF’s Vision 2020 was brought up. The new During the meeting the importance of creating a new �ire station at by that can station close by that can reach buildings in distress quickly. Mr. Deshmukh agreed reach �ire station is seen as the need of the hour as Nepean Sea Road doesn’t have a �ire that more needs to be done for the city the size of Mumbai. buildings time by a brave watchman from the neighbouring Embassy Apartments, NSRCF in distress also requestedIn light ofMr. the Deshmukh recent Paradise to make Apartments it mandatory �ire for which all building was extinguished security in quickly. Deshmukh agreed it was a good suggestion and would be taken up for review. personnel to obtain a certi�icate in �ire safety as partNSRCF of their also training. requested Mr. for mini vans to be �itted with basic �ire �ighting equipment and 2000 liters of water, Inso additionthat they to can training easily in and dealing quickly with reach a �ire, the �ire, and start �ire- �ighting operations until the main �ire brigade reaches the building. This was agreed by all present as a practical solution to avoid major casualties from annualthe �ire function,spreading then by the spoke time on the the �ire importance brigade arrived. for local residents to be prepared The Chief Fire Of�icer Mr. Prabhat Rahangdale, special invitee at NSRCF’s and know how to extinguish different kinds of �ires. While encouraging citizens helpof NSR save to attendlives. regular informative sessions on �ire �ighting organized by the �ire department he stressed that acting correctly and promptly during a �ire can NSRCF had organized a �ire �ighting session earlier in the year, during which Mr. Rahangdale’s deputy had shown citizens how to use and operate a �ire round!extinguisher. However only a few residents had turned up to the event. Considering its your life, we hope to see a greater participation next time 2 Mr. Amol Vasaikar Page3 with his team Our Neighbourhood Celebrity In this section, we highlight one department of the BMC as our Page 3 celebrity's. In this issue we throw the spotlight on Mr. Amol Vasaikar, Junior Tree Of�icer and his team Qwho: run the horticultural department within the BMC's D Ward. A: My department is responsible for the maintenance of public gardens and protection What are you and your team responsible for? attend to citizens grievances with respect to public gardens & trees. of trees in the D Ward area. We always aim to plant new trees wherever possible and Q: A: In order to avoid accidents on a long stretch of road without signals, where cars tend Why to speed, did you we decide decided to plant to plant palm palm trees treesin Nepean along Sea the Road? median. The idea was, the symmetry of trees would enable drivers to see the curvature of the road from a distance and judge the road better. Q: A: the footHow paths do you are plan regularly to maintain checked, the trimmedtrees on NSR?and manured by my team. The trees planted on NSR, both the palms on the median and the �lowering trees on Q: A: If a tree is old and needs to be felled, what is the procedure to cut or trim the tree? inspect If a tree the treeneeds and to determinebe cut or trimmed, what is the an bestapplication way to lettersave it. �irst If the needs tree to cannot be sent be to saved, the weof�ice will of get The permission Assistant Commissionerto cut it. The charges D Ward. for Following trimming which, or cutting my teama tree will are come determined and Q:based on the type of tree and extent of damage. A: lationHow and important rise in the is pollution green cover level. in Ifa city?every resident of Mumbai plants 1 tree in his lifetime For a and city rears like Mumbai, it till it matures green cover we will is extremely have a tree important population due of to 22 increase million. in popu- Q: Is there a contact number to inform your department if any tree/ green area is in A: Citizens may call the BMC hotline number 1918 in case of an emergency. danger? 3 Neapen Sea Road's Annual General Meeting; where concerned citizens meet to collectively improve the state of our road. From Left to right NSRCF Chairperson Mrs. Gita Mirchandani, MLA Mr. M P Lodha, NSRCF Secretary Mr. Nelu Gidwani, Additional Commissioner MCGM Mr. Sanjay Deshmukh, Mr, Nanik Rupani and Chief Fire Of�icer Mr. Prabhat Rahangdale. Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting, is a great platform for concerned members A recent in our neighbourhood to come together, discuss civic issues, understand the progress or road blocks the Forum has met with in the past year. development This year, on Sunday morning, 5th July, NSRCF held its 14th AGM, which was attended by nearly 70 members. Mrs. Gita Mirchandani chaired the meeting. meant that The members approved the minutes of the last AGM, passed the report of the the traffic Governing Council for 2015, and approved of the Forums budget and auditors for 2015-16. police has The secretary, Mr. Nelu Gidwani reported that last year, had been a frustr- created ating one with little or no progress on most fronts tackled by the governing council. He outlined that the laying of gas pipelines had met with a futile a new team response from the authorities, despite the intervention of our MP Mr. Arvind for Malabar Sawant and our MLA Mr. M. P. Lodha. Mr. Gidwani continued that there was also Hill gate until Embassy apartments. no progressSteps on have the been issue taken, of trucks albeit parked small along towards the removing road leading hawkers from PDP’sand easing �irst traf�ic congestion on the road, especially around St. Stephen’s Church, where NSR Malabarmeets Kemps Hill and Corner. that NSRCF Towards would traf�ic, work Mr. closely Mukul withMehra, them explained to de-congest that a recentbottle necksdevelopment at peak meanthours. that the traf�ic police has dedicated a newly created team for Similarly, NSRCF is being supported by the BMC, to remove illegal encroa- chments on the street.