top of page

By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

BMC plans parking curbs in narrow lanes

Mumbai: Amid mounting concerns over delayed emergency response in congested neighbourhoods, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to enforce parking restrictions in several narrow lanes across the city, where indiscriminate on-street parking has increasingly emerged as a critical civic hazard. The move, expected to be implemented soon, is aimed at ensuring unobstructed access for fire engines and ambulances in densely populated pockets where even minor delays can have...

BMC plans parking curbs in narrow lanes

Mumbai: Amid mounting concerns over delayed emergency response in congested neighbourhoods, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to enforce parking restrictions in several narrow lanes across the city, where indiscriminate on-street parking has increasingly emerged as a critical civic hazard. The move, expected to be implemented soon, is aimed at ensuring unobstructed access for fire engines and ambulances in densely populated pockets where even minor delays can have life-threatening consequences. “Illegal parking is not merely a compliance issue; it reflects the structural gap between the rapid growth in vehicle ownership and the limited parking infrastructure available in our cities,” said Prashant Sharma, President of NAREDCO Maharashtra. “As urban centres continue to densify, there is a pressing need to integrate well-planned and technologically enabled parking solutions within city planning as well as new real estate developments. Adequate parking infrastructure will play a crucial role in ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving overall urban mobility,” he added. Highlighting the urgency for scalable interventions, Ashish Majithia, Founder and CEO of Nextkraft Parking Technologies, said, “Mumbai’s parking crisis, especially in older and congested localities, underscores the need for innovative approaches such as automated and multi-level parking systems. Automated or mechanised parking should be installed at every public parking spot, which can significantly increase capacity, reduce dependence on on-street parking and ensure that critical access routes remain unobstructed. Alongside regulatory measures, adopting vertical parking infrastructure will be the key to building safer and more efficient cities.” The civic concern is particularly acute in older parts of South and Central Mumbai, including Chandanwadi, Girgaon, Kalbadevi, Gaondevi, Tardeo, Mumbai Central, Nagpada, Agripada and Byculla, where over 240 narrow lanes have been identified. Civic assessments indicate that nearly 35 to 40 of these are so constricted that only a single vehicle can pass at a time, making them highly vulnerable during emergencies when every second is critical. Commercial Zones The situation is further exacerbated in high-density commercial zones such as Zaveri Bazaar and Kalbadevi, where wholesale trade activity leads to persistent vehicular congestion. Authorities warn that in the event of fires or medical emergencies, blocked access routes could result in severe loss of life and property, underlining the gravity of the issue as more than just a traffic inconvenience. According to civic officials, proposed measures include introducing odd-even parking systems in select lanes and declaring complete no-parking zones in others, coupled with stricter enforcement against violators. However, residents and business owners have raised concerns over the absence of adequate alternative parking infrastructure, arguing that enforcement without viable substitutes could shift the burden rather than resolve the problem. As Mumbai continues to grapple with rising vehicle ownership and shrinking urban space, the proposed restrictions bring into sharp focus a deeper civic challenge, balancing immediate regulatory action with long-term infrastructure planning. Experts maintain that unless supported by systematic investments in organised, high-capacity parking solutions, the city’s emergency access bottlenecks may persist despite stricter rules.

Crack down on fake godmen scourge

Mumbai: As outrage continues across the state over the revival ‘babas’ and ‘buwas’ – self-styled fake godmen on the rampage targeting people, especially women, a social activist has called for a crackdown on this scourge by the government, coupled with awareness and grassroots support at the village-levels.


Towards this end, Mahatma Phule Samaj Seva Mandal (MPSSM) chief Pramod Zinjade submitted a memorandum to the Rural Development Ministry seeking a state-supported initiative to curb such evil social malpractices rampant in the mofussil areas.


Zinjade urged the government to move swiftly as superstition-loaded exploitation is not only spreading but cutting across caste-religious lines with such fake babas preying on the vulnerable village folks – and must be curbed with an iron hand.


“The recent case of Nashik, involving Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat, as well as others in the recent past in the state and other parts of the country, has highlighted how these unscrupulous persons trap people in the name of miracles, healing powers, divine engagement and occult practices,” Zinjade told ‘The Perfect Voice’.


There are other similar instances in some parts of the state where ‘tantriks’ forced gullible women into physically exploitative rituals - ostensibly to ward off curses, effects of dark spells or evil spirits, saving the lives of their husbands or kin - and other such superstitions.


Black Magic Act

Referring to the Maharashtra Prevention & Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, Zinjade said in his memorandum that existing legal provisions are underutilised or not fully enforced, and need to get a boost from the state.


“The law has already criminalised such acts and also mandated stringent punishment, besides encouraging the citizens to develop a ‘scientific temper’ to prevent abuse by so-called bhondu babas. The government should issue a state-level circular directing all district and local authorities to mandate the Village Panchayats to take up ‘Superstition Free Village’ as a formal agenda to be implemented within a time-frame,” explained Zinjade.


All the villages can pass suitable resolutions, form Superstition Eradication Committees, launch awareness campaigns involving the youth and school or college students, vigil by women’s groups to keep an eye on any resident or roving godmen and enforce the law at the grassroots with the help of the local police along with the district administration, he added.


He expressed optimism that if the state government intervenes in the matter, there could be a drastic reduction in incidents of superstitious, fraudulent, spiritual and aghori rituals-practices, preventing the exploitation of womenfolk plus ensuring the rural societies are rendered safe and secure.

Comments

bottom of page