Mumbai: The residents of Dadar's Shivaji Park area are again up in arms against the BMC for making false claims of starting testing grass variety to be planted at the ground.

Shivaji Park residents ALM Vaibhav Rege said, "The G-North ward Assistant Municipal Commissioner, Vinayak Vispute told media that they have started sowing seeds and the testing will be completed within 10 days. In reality, on ground only barracading has been done on a side of the park where the testing is expected."

However, the residents now request the BMC to postpone the plantation as the monsoon has already started. "They have missed the deadline given by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The ward office was supposed to start testing and plantation in April and May before the onset of monsoon so the grass can grow naturally during the monsoon. The ward office neither held meetings with the residents during the summer nor provided any update," Rege added.

Rege also refused media reports saying that the residents met BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani. "We met the ward officer last week asking if the plantations can be postponed to post-monsoon. Rs 80 lakhs funds have been sanctioned for the work and we feel it should not be wasted. The park has natural grass cover during monsoon," the residents said.

Assistant municipal commissioner, Vinayak Vispute said told the FPJ the residents met him last week requesting to postpone the grass plantation. "I agree the plantation has been delayed as the ward staff was engaged in other works. The residents met me last week asking if the plantation can be done post-monsoon. If they feel that is appropriate, it can be postponed."

Vispute added that the ward is still waiting for the Rs 80 lakhs funds sanctioned from the enviornment department. While, senior officer from environment department confirmed that funds are sanctioned but the ward office needs to followup with the accounts department.

In February, the MPCB directed the BMC to develop green patches at Shivaji Park to control the dust pollution. The MPCB issued a notice to BMC’s Environment Department directing time-bound actions to be taken to control the flying red dust. The G-North ward office is responsible to implement the directions. The main measures include sowing grass seeds before the monsoon begins and appointing a ‘curator’ to maintain the ground among others.

The BMC scrapped its original plan to remove a 9-inch soil layer from Dadar’s Shivaji Park to address the problem of flying dust after IIT-B experts told the MPCB that that soil removal is not a feasible long-term solution. The IIT-B instead advised growing grass which can hold the soil.