Mumbai’s Juhu residents urge civic poll candidates to ban commercial vehicle parking and address hawker encroachments and sanitation issues
Citizen Groups in Juhu Demand Ban on Commercial Vehicle Parking
As municipal corporation elections approach, citizen groups and Advanced Locality Managements (ALMs) are presenting their demands to political parties and candidates. The Gulmohar Area Societies Welfare Group (GASWG) from the upscale Juhu area is calling for a complete ban on parking commercial vehicles, including autorickshaws, on the lanes of Gulmohar and JVPD. They also want unlicensed hawkers removed from both areas, along with other civic-related requests.
Ashok Pandit, a filmmaker and chairman of GASWG, stated that they are providing a copy of their citizens’ charter of demands to candidates contesting from Ward 67. Their demands include stricter enforcement of civic and planning norms to enhance livability in the neighborhood.
“This is a city-wide problem — residential lanes in Gulmohar and JVPD have been taken over by trucks, tempos, taxis, and hawkers, leaving residents with no space to park and roads in chaos,” said Pandit. “Despite repeated complaints to the BMC and traffic police, there is no action, which is why we have raised this as a key issue with election candidates. We are also demanding that Mumbai have two municipal commissioners to ensure better governance.”
Residents have requested proper implementation of hawking zones for licensed vendors, a complete ban on cooking on footpaths and roads, and the removal of illegal nurseries and garages encroaching on public roads. To make Gulmohar and JVPD safe and pedestrian-friendly, citizens are also asking for action against unchecked advertisements and hoardings in public spaces by private firms and political parties, along with measures to protect open spaces from encroachment.
Additionally, the groups have raised serious concerns about pollution, infrastructure, and sanitation. They demand that construction sites strictly follow pollution control, timing, and noise norms, and that developers comply with Development Control (DC) rules, especially those related to footpaths, parking, and mandatory open spaces.
In their letter, residents highlighted health hazards, pointing to garbage from roadside eateries and the poor condition of the Irla nullah flowing through the area, calling for urgent intervention.
| Demand | Description |
|---|---|
| Ban on Commercial Vehicles | Complete ban on parking commercial vehicles on Gulmohar and JVPD lanes. |
| Eviction of Unlicensed Hawkers | Removal of unlicensed hawkers from both areas. |
| Hawking Zones | Proper implementation of hawking zones for licensed vendors. |
| Cooking Ban | Complete ban on cooking on footpaths and roads. |
| Illegal Encroachments | Removal of illegal nurseries and garages on public roads. |
| Pollution Control | Strict adherence to pollution control, timing, and noise norms at construction sites. |
| Health Hazards | Address garbage from roadside eateries and poor condition of Irla nullah. |
