India, March 7 -- A citizen activist's persistent efforts and a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) order barring fresh excavations, which was not in the public domain, helped foil attempts by the civic body to dig up and concretise a small alley off St Paul's Road in Bandra West.

"Silver Clophill Lane a charming road made of paver blocks that looks like a picture, with a garden at its end. It doesn't need concretising," said Bandra resident Natasha Pereira, whose foray into activism started with protests against deforestation in Aarey Colony for the metro car shed.

During her usual stroll on Tuesday morning, Pereira spotted BMC workers setting up barricades around Silver Clophill Lane and questioned them about what was going on. W...