The civic body has rejected a survey of LBS Road done by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). It has decided to conduct its own at a cost of around Rs7 lakh.
However, MMRDA said that their survey is accurate and authentic. “Though it has been done by a third party, the party was appointed by MMRDA. The survey has already been certified by the authority,” said Dilip Kawathkar, MMRDA’s spokesperson.
MMRDA had handed over the road to the BMC for maintenance in 2008. The road was with MMRDA for eight years. It could not widen the road and traffic congestion remained.
When BMC examined the survey report, it did not match with its original land record. Saying it is difficult for it to approve MMRDA’s survey as it has been done by a third party, it has decided to appoint its own agency to conduct a fresh one.
The survey will contain the width of the road, the structures obstructing it or new ones coming up on it.
The LBS Road stretches from Sion to Mulund. The MMRDA had abandoned the widening project, citing increasing cost. As a result, the road had not been developed for more than three years. The road is 60-90 feet wide. It will be increased to 120 feet.
But, according to the MMRDA’s study, there are 1,200 structures along the stretch and the BMC will have to rehabilitate all. Many are over 100 years old.
