Residents lash out at King’s Circle flyover, say it has marred green cover

All is not well with the King’s Circle flyover, which was thrown open for vehicular traffic on Thursday. The north-bound arm of the 1.5-km-long flyover was opened three years after the work commenced to provide faster traffic movement.

However, Dadar and Matunga residents state that the flyover, instead of easing traffic in the area, has marred its green space.

The construction has led to chopping of 17 full-grown trees at the Maheshwari Udyan. The flyover runs between the Ramnarain Ruia College and the Maheshwari Udyan, a park 100m in diameter.

“The flyover has violated the ground space. Initially only four pillars of the flyover were sanctioned to enter the garden, but now eight pillars have barged into it. This has marred the green cover of the garden,” said GR Vora, a Dadar resident and member of the F-north ward citizen’s federation.

Not only this, residents pointed out that the flyover is built on an old pattern, which has been shunned years ago.

“The flyover is built on the two-pillar pattern. This has led wastage of huge ground space. Still worst, even after the flyover is being opened now, there is no plan to utilise the area below,” said civic activist Nikhil Desai.

The residents had filed an RTI to inquire how the authorities plan to use the ground space.

“The amount of space lost is tremendous. This place could have been utilised to make a pay-and-park facility or a pathway. No such plans are in place. At the end of the day, this place would be encroached and several hutments will crop up,” stated D Sukumar, another resident and member of the federation.

Moreover, due to the construction, a CCTV installed in the area has been uprooted. Traffic department’s CCTV was used to keep surveillance in the area. Also signals need to be upgraded to cantilever traffic lights, Desai added.