Godrej’s ‘illegal’ luxury real estate project near Kandivali Station is being targeted by the Indian Army’s Mumbai COD
Mumbai, 23 May: The Indian Army’s Central Ordnance Depot (COD) in Kandivali, Mumbai, has taken issue with a luxurious private home development dubbed “Godrej Reserve” that is being developed nearby. The project was started by the prominent real estate company Godrej Properties Ltd. With a pessimistic outlook, the COD officials sent a letter to the Brihan-Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) requesting that they promptly issue a “Stop Work Notice” to GPL over their impending luxury construction project on Akurli Road, which is located in a northwest Mumbai area within a short distance from the Kandivali East train station.
The COD high brass noted that the GPL’s Godrej Reserve project site is situated inside the restricted 500-meter zone, or around 250 meters away, from the perimeter wall of the sensitive military facility in a letter to the BMC dated May 15 that IANS was able to obtain. As stated in the COD letter to the BMC Executive Engineer (Building Proposals), all building operations are prohibited inside a 100-meter radius of a defense facility perimeter wall in accordance with the Center’s May 2011 standards.
Furthermore, only development up to a maximum of three stories above ground is allowed within a 100–500-meter radius after receiving a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Defense Department. As a result, it is against the current regulation as outlined in the aforementioned guidelines to carry out any building within 500 meters of the army establishment’s perimeter wall without first receiving a nod of approval from the Defense Department. Therefore, the private builder’s (GPL) development is clearly unlawful since it violates government directives and decrees, the COD said.
To prevent future legal issues, the COD requested that the BMC immediately deliver a Stop Work Notice to the relevant builder (GPL). Additionally, it has requested that the BMC provide the COD with copies of the approved development plan, the IOD, the Commencement Certificate, and all other project data and documentation. According to Mumbai-based defense sources, the Center’s explicit rules from the previous year govern how all notifications of this kind about NOC problems concerning defense sites are handled.
A BMC representative who was reached refused to comment on the delicate situation between a well-known private realtor and the defense department. According to a Godrej representative, they have not yet received any notification from the BMC or any other government and would provide a statement as soon as they do. The GPL unveiled its ambitious proposal this month, aiming to construct at least three 52-story skyscrapers next to the Western Express Highway, complete with parking lots, green spaces, and eco-friendly features.
Within 15 months of obtaining the land, the GPL claimed to have completed what it considered to be its most successful launch ever in Mumbai, selling over 800 flats totaling approximately Rs 2,700 crore and covering an area of approximately 1.5 million square feet in the Godrej Reserve project. The project, which is situated on around 18 acres of land and offers 3-BHK and 4-BHK luxury homes beginning at a minimum of Rs 2.35 crore per (small) flat, is expected to be completed by mid-2030.
