Mumbai News: One Year After Completion, Crawford Market’s Redeveloped Building For Fish Vendors Awaits OC From BMC
**Two New Buildings in Phase 2 of Crawford Market Redevelopment Await Occupation Certificate**
A year after completion, two new buildings in Phase 2 of the 154-year-old redeveloped Crawford Market still await an Occupation Certificate (OC) from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
“In the new building, Block 3 for fish vendors and Block 4 for mutton vendors are completed. The OC from the BMC is in process,” said Abha Narian Lambah, the conservation architect heading the redevelopment project.
### Crawford Market Redevelopment: An Overview
Officially known as the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai, Crawford Market’s Phase 1 involved the restoration of the heritage market building from 2015 to 2018. Phase 2 includes the construction of four new blocks, a one-acre open plaza, and basement parking facilities.
### Delays Affecting Vendor Shifts
Vendors from the nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji Fish Market (CSM) and Dadar Fish Market are planned to be rehabilitated in the redeveloped Crawford Market. However, delays in issuing the OC have postponed the shifting process.
“If the section reserved for fish vendors is completed, why is there a delay in shifting the fish vendors? The fish vendors from CSM and Dadar operate on the road, causing traffic jams. The fish market at Elphinstone Road is adding to the chaos after the closure of Elphinstone Bridge,” said civic activist Chetan Kamble.
Residents of Swarajya CHS recently held a meeting with MP Anil Desai, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Zone II, and others, demanding the permanent removal of the fish market from Senapati Bapat Marg.
### Activists Demand Compliance with Municipal Rules
Activist Kamlakar Shenoy has been campaigning against the BMC for allowing vendors from Crawford Market to set up stalls on the road, calling it a blatant violation of basic municipal regulations.
“Where in the MRTP Act and MMC Act is it mentioned that hawkers can do business on the road? The BMC is now planning to relocate the fish market to sheds erected on MRA Marg,” Shenoy stated.
### BMC Cites Funding and Development Plan Issues
“For ten years, the BMC has been redeveloping Crawford Market. There is no official explanation for the delay. The BMC lacks sufficient funds to pay the contractor and complete the work on time,” Shenoy added.
Kamble also noted that the OC delay is partly due to the market building being situated on a Development Plan Road. The BMC has indicated that it will take at least one and a half years before the Crawford Market building is fully ready for occupation.
The Free Press Journal attempted to contact Assistant Municipal Commissioner (Markets) Manish Valanju and Executive Engineer P. Thorat for an official comment on the redevelopment status, but both did not respond.
### Open Plaza and Basement Parking Work Underway
Lambah shared that work on the open plaza and basement parking is ongoing but is time-consuming due to the need to dig 11 meters below ground using diamond cutters.
“We are carrying out this challenging work without relocating the vendors. It will take at least a year to complete,” Lambah concluded.
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The redevelopment of Crawford Market is a significant project aimed at modernizing a historic marketplace while accommodating vendors fairly. However, issues with delays, funding, and regulatory compliance continue to challenge its progress.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-news-one-year-after-completion-crawford-markets-redeveloped-building-for-fish-vendors-awaits-oc-from-bmc
