Mumbai: There is pushback against a proposed 30,000-seat Global Capability Centre (GCC) office complex in Powai, with residents, housing societies and citizen groups warning that the project could choke the suburb further.
Representation to CM Devendra Fadnavis
In a representation to CM Devendra Fadnavis, the Powai Area Locality Management (ALM) and 15 cooperative housing societies described the proposed campus as a “public and ecological disaster in the making”, arguing that the location is wholly unsuitable for a project of such scale.
The representation termed the project “a mass casualty event waiting to happen”, citing inadequate road infrastructure, severe congestion and the absence of viable emergency evacuation routes.
Project Details and Location
The proposed 2-million-sqft campus is planned within the dense residential belt of Powai and Chandivli, which was originally developed under Powai Area Development Scheme as a residential township.
Residents argued that the narrow two-lane internal roads, already overwhelmed by daily congestion, cannot absorb the massive influx of employees, private vehicles, buses, cabs and support traffic the project would generate.
Arterial Route Already Overcapacity
Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), the only major arterial route serving Powai, is already operating beyond capacity. Peak-hour commutes from Western Express Highway to Powai routinely stretch close to an hour, while traffic within Hiranandani Gardens has become increasingly unmanageable, the representation said.
Residents estimated that GCC would generate an additional 20,000-25,000 vehicle trips every day, pushing the Powai-Chandivli corridor into permanent gridlock. They pointed out that there are just two practical entry and exit points connecting the project site to JVLR, both consisting of narrow residential roads incapable of handling such traffic volumes.
Voices of Concern
“Powai’s roads are already stretched far beyond their intended capacity. Residents routinely spend 30-45 minutes navigating distances that should take less than 10 minutes during peak hours,” said Pamela Cheema, chairperson of the Powai ALM.
“Traffic volumes have increased by leaps and bounds over the years as residential and commercial developments mushroomed across the area without corresponding infrastructure upgrades. Adding a 30,000-employee campus to this already overburdened ecosystem would turn daily commuting into a nightmare and severely compromise pedestrian safety and emergency response times.”
“This is no longer just a question of inconvenience or longer commute times. Powai is staring at a full-blown infrastructure and environmental crisis,” said Milan Bhat, a member of the ALM. “The existing road network has already reached saturation point. Concentrating such a massive workforce in an already congested residential neighbourhood goes against every principle of sustainable urban planning. Without a comprehensive cumulative impact assessment, Powai risks losing not just its liveability but also its ecological identity.”
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