# Malabar Hill residents challenge BMC road width cut in Bombay HC 2026-08-22T03:41:33+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Malabar Hill residents have moved the Bombay High Court against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) 2023 decision to reduce the width of Walkeshwar Road from 27.5 metres to 17 metres between the Afghan Consulate and Teen Batti. The PIL, filed by the Malabar Hill Citizens Association through convener Jaswant Mehta, argues the reduction is illegal and will cause severe traffic congestion. The PIL notes that the road's sanctioned width has been 27.5 metres since the 1967 development plan and was only proposed for reduction in 2021. Residents say the current width of 13.5 to 16 metres is already too narrow and widening is needed. They allege the reduction benefits a private developer near Teen Batti where a 15-storey building is planned. The BMC issued a stop-work notice in April 2025 following chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's intervention but later withdrew it without rescinding the 2023 resolution. The BMC instead sought an IIT-Bombay report, which residents say does not address their concerns. The acting chief justice said the matter will be heard by a new bench. ## Indian Opinion Analysis This is not the first time Mumbai's elite neighbourhood has gone to court over road width, similar PILs on Pali Hill and Carmichael Road set precedents where the HC directed the BMC to adhere to development plan widths. At stake is the 27.5-metre right of way that has been on paper for 58 years, while actual carriageway has shrunk to 13.5-16 metres. The next hearing date will determine whether the BMC must restore the width before any redevelopment approvals are granted in the area, which sees heavy VIP movement to Raj Bhavan and the high court itself. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com The article reports residents' claims and BMC actions without taking sides, attributing contested allegations to the PIL. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: BMC, Bombay High Court, Devendra Fadnavis, Malabar Hill, Walkeshwar Road Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/malabar-hill-residents-challenge-bmc-road-width-cut-in-bombay-hc/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/malabar-hill-residents-challenge-bmc-road-width-cut-in-bombay-hc/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/