A delegation of the Powai Action Forum (PAF) met Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Commissioner Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee at the MMRDA Head Office to present serious community concerns regarding the upcoming Global Capability Centre (GCC) and the long-delayed lease conveyance for cooperative housing societies in Powai.
The delegation, led by Dr. Ratan Sharda, Ramesh Rath, Madhav Amin, Shobha Philips, Subhash Ailwar, and Jayman Khona, engaged in a 40-minute constructive dialogue with the Commissioner and five senior MMRDA officials. The forum formally handed over a petition bearing over 2,000 physical signatures of local residents opposing the GCC in its current shape, along with a separate representation addressing the pending execution of sub-leases under the Powai Area Development Scheme (PADS).
Residents voiced apprehension that developing a mega GCC project-slated to host approximately 30,000 seats alongside IT facilities, multiplexes, and retail spaces-will bring an estimated daily influx of nearly 1,00,000 commuters and over 20,000 vehicles into an already congested neighborhood. The local road infrastructure, primarily serviced by a 60-foot-wide access route, is severely ill-equipped to absorb such volume.
“Our representation is not an opposition to economic growth or city development, but a call for sensible planning,” said Dr. Ratan Sharda.
“Adding tens of thousands of corporate employees and thousands of transit vehicles without expanding road networks, parking facilities, or municipal drainage will push Powai’s infrastructure to complete collapse. An independent, ground-level assessment reflecting current realities is non-negotiable before concrete structures advance further,” said Jayman Khona
The delegation also raised alarms regarding school safety and emergency vehicle access near institutions like Hiranandani Foundation School and S.M. Shetty College, noting that existing transit delays already compromise hospital access during critical emergencies.
Highlighting the residential issues, Ms. Shobha Philips stated, “Thousands of flat purchasers in Hiranandani Gardens have been waiting decades for their legal sub-leases. Using loopholes in the Powai Area Development Scheme to deny conveyance to registered societies while opening up space for intense commercial redevelopments is unfair to citizens who made Powai their home. Authorities must step up regulatory supervision.”
MMRDA officials listened to the detailed submissions and agreed to examine the civic, environmental, and legal points raised by the residents.
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