BMC clears garage and marriage hall from land reserved for Andheri fire station

A garage and a marriage hall at Chitrakoot Grounds on Link Road in Andheri have been demolished by the BMC’s K-West ward, clearing land reserved for a fire station.

The civic action followed complaints that the structures had encroached on open space set aside for the facility. Rupesh Sawarkar, the local BJP corporator, said he had pursued the matter since being elected earlier this year after finding that the encroachments extended onto part of the proposed fire-station plot.

The BMC’s development plan has carried the fire-station reservation since 1991, said Dhaval Shah of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association. The area presently has no nearby fire station, despite dense residential development along Lokhandwala and Link Road.

Sawarkar alleged that the ground had been leased for wedding functions, film shoots and turf cricket, creating financial irregularities. He said he is seeking faster development of the fire station so construction can begin. Shah said delayed emergency response during fires has been a concern for residents, particularly as more high-rises are built in the area.