Mumbai: A Rs 100 crore makeover for the over 60-year old Navalkar municipal market at Jogeshwari East abutting the railway station will get underway after monsoon.
The Indian Railways on Wednesday gave its no-objection certificate (NOC) for the redevelopment of the market which is close to railway tracks on the condition that even a single centimetre variation in building/block height from approved plan will be treated as violation and the approval cancelled. The NOC further states if in future the railways requires the land for expansion, the BMC will demolish the structure at its cost.
The market was declared dilapidated in 2015. Local Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar who had been consistently following up on the issue since he was a corporator, MLA and now MP, said the plans were kept ready but first it took time to get the land records changed to show it is owned by BMC. Thereafter, a four-month follow-up with Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav finally bore fruit and the NOC was issued on March 26.
“The new market building will help widen the road outside the railway station which in turn will reduce traffic congestion. The shops affected by the road widening will be accommodated in the building which will have a car park as also offices,” he said. The railway NOC warns the plans include a three-storey basement with a depth of 9 metres and the BMC must ensure the safety of the railway tracks is not affected due to excavation and execution of the work. BMC is required to ensure any outlet like drainage, storm water drain is not towards the tracks.