Residents oppose proposal to list Shivaji Park building as heritage structure

Two residents of an over 70-year-old building in Shivaji Park,in their petition to Bombay High Court,have questioned the April 2012

Two residents of an over 70-year-old building in Shivaji Park,in their petition to Bombay High Court,have questioned the April 2012 decision of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) to accord Grade-I heritage tag to the residential precinct.

The petitioners seek the deletion of the Shivaji Park area from the additions to be made to the heritage structures and have urged the court to restrain the state government from finalising the proposed MHCC list. The petition is likely to be heard by a division bench on July 22.

Dr Arun Chitale (75) and businessman Damodar Nayak (63),co-owners of the Penso Villa located diagonally opposite Krishna Kunj,the residence of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray,have questioned the rationale behind labeling the precinct as a Grade-I heritage structure.

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It makes no sense, said Nayak. Buildings like the museum are Grade- I heritage structures. Do you think my building can be compared to such buildings? If that is the case,I would be very proud, Nayak said.

This petition is not only for my building. It is in good condition and may stand for several more years,but there are many other buildings in Shivaji Park that need repair. How is it going to be possible if they are classified as Grade-I heritage structures? he said.

In their petition,Chitale and Nayak have stated that as there are no lifts in the buildings,senior citizens find it difficult to climb up the higher floors. While Nayak stays on the first floor and has another apartment on the fourth floor,Chitale,who has undergone a bypass surgery,lives on the second floor.

In the petition filed through lawyer Sanjay Kadam,the residents of the four-storey building with wooden staircases have stated that most of the buildings are well past their life-span and in need of repair. The buildings do not have sufficient open spaces between them,which leads to paucity of parking space.

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Not only the petitioners and their tenants,but many other property owners and tenants have been eagerly looking for redevelopment of their properties,, the petition further says.