Mumbai, June 4 -- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC's) proposal to convert part of a defunct cycling track near the Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion East into a pay-and-park facility has finally been greenlit. The civic body's hydraulic engineering (HE) department, which owns the land, has issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the project after it initially hit a bureaucratic hurdle over revenue sharing. HT has a copy of the NOC. The project, approved by the additional municipal commissioner (projects), Abhijit Bangar, will be implemented by the BMC's F North ward. It involves transforming a 331-metre-long and 10-metre-wide stretch of a cycle track opposite Shanmukhanand Hall on Flank Road into a regulated parking zone. Built during the pandemic, the cycling track, which runs from Sion to Mulund, has been plagued by unauthorised encroachments, including shanties and roadside vendors. Its misuse by unruly elements for illegal activities such as peddling drugs and gambling has rendered the track virtually non-functional and led to recurring complaints from residents. Despite repeated attempts by the F North ward to clear the encroachments, the problem persisted. As a long-term solution, the BMC in February had proposed a pay-and-park scheme to restore order and deter further illegal occupation. After discussions between the HE department and the F North ward over revenue-sharing briefly stalled the project, it has finally got the go-ahead. According to the NOC, the HE department will continue to own the land, while the F North ward will oversee the parking facility. The revenue generated from the parking facility will go to the civic body's general budget, as opposed to an earlier direction to deposit the proceeds into the HE department's account. The site holds strategic importance as it lies directly above the Tansa pipeline, a critical infrastructure for supplying drinking water to Mumbai. The HE department has emphasised that no permanent structures will be permitted on the plot, and utmost care must be taken to avoid disrupting the underlying water infrastructure, according to the NOC. Operational guidelines for the contractor managing the parking facility include having to immediately vacate the site in case the pipeline has to be repaired or during emergencies. The HE department also reserves the right to revoke the scheme at any time without prior notice or explanation. The move is being hailed as a victory by residents of the area, who have long advocated for a more productive use of the land. Payal Shah, a member of the United Societies of Sion, who spearheaded the citizen campaign for the project, said, "I've begun to trust the system. When the need is genuine and consistently communicated, the authorities do listen. Though decisions weren't immediate, action was taken over time. Once they saw my persistence, inter-department coordination began. I received strong support from the ward level and the maintenance department. I now hope execution happens faster."...