Bandra’s Pali Hill is no stranger to the spotlight. However, this peaceful and quaint neighbourhood has lately been at the centre of attention for discomforting reasons.
In the past 3 months, the area has seen a number of cases of burglaries, home break-ins, mobile snatching incidents on unsuspecting walkers, and also some instances of eve-teasing. Understandably, the residents are worried for their safety and security. So, along with the Pali Hill Residents Association, they are looking at various solutions that can help fix the problem.
We spoke to the Association’s secretary, Madhu Poplai, who elaborated on the issue. “Apart from Rajiv Apartments, there have been break-ins in 7 other buildings in the area and at least 14 cases of petty thefts. We want to protect our residents. So, together with the Khar Police, we have put together a neighbourhood watch, with regular police patrolling in the evening. Most CCTV cameras in the area do not function properly and we can’t just rely on building security either.” The Pali Hill Residents Association has therefore reached out to the Municipal Corporation and proposed a “gated community” to safeguard the area better. They have suggested there be 4 gates at different entry and exit points of Pali Hill, manned by security guards at night, to effectively curb the crimes in the vicinity.
The gate, however, has sparked a debate.
While we spoke to many who see this as a welcome move, there are many others who think the gates are unfair.
“Why?” reasons Sudhir, a resident. “The intention is not to stop people from using the roads. The roads will remain open through the day and will only be gated from 10 pm onwards; no one wants to disrupt free movement. This gate will only make it more secure for residents, as well as travellers.” Agrees, another resident Sonu, “Yes, it will only make the neighbourhood better. It will discourage miscreant bikers and will be safe for everyone on the road.”
Leandra, another Bandraite, however, has a question, “Why not increase security in your compounds, instead? Why put up gates and block a public road? In Delhi too, where such gates have been put up, there are traffic problems at night and long detours. I don’t think that is fair at all to the rest of the public.”
“I don’t think it will hinder traffic”, says Rang Ashok. “It is only a matter of 7 hours in the night, and the gate will not stop non-residents from moving in and out.” The Association’s secretary added, “The gate will only restrict thoroughfare, with a single entry and exit point at night. Our plan is not to inconvenience anyone. Our Association understands social responsibility and we regularly do our bit for the area. For 2 whole months during the pandemic, we organized langar lunches for those most affected in and around our neighbourhood. So the idea is not to be self-sufficing; we are trying to find a middle ground.
But Stephanie Pereira, a lawyer, points out, “No one living on Pali or ALM has ownership of the roads. It is not a private property for one to demand gates.” Mr. Zaheer Memon, another Bandra based lawyer, argues, “The suggestion is neither practical nor legal. It’s a route for thoroughfare and cannot be restricted to commuters. Train and increase the number of security guards instead.”
We also spoke to Mr. Gajanan Kabdule, Sr. Inspector of the Khar Police Station. He chose to not comment on the pros and cons of the gate, as the decision is not under the preview of the Police Department. But he did speak to us on the substantial work being done towards nipping the transgressions in the bud.
“We have increased patrolling, not just at Pali Hill but all areas under the Khar jurisdiction, where there have been cases of street crimes and thefts. Just 15 days ago we nabbed 3 people involved in 13 cases of house break-ins and burglaries. We managed to recover property worth up to 13 lakh rupees. These are people with previous criminal records; these are not crimes born out of the pandemic, as some are suggesting. We have identified 12 spots in the jurisdiction that are most susceptible to these crimes and we have increased patrolling, surprise checks on vehicles and we have also assigned beat officers in every chowki. CCTV cameras help the Police Department in a big way. So it is important that they are in good working condition aur unki sankhya bhi badhaani chahiye.” Currently, there are 3 types of cameras – private property CCTVs, BMC installed cameras and those installed by
Larsen & Toubro. While the cameras directly send feeds to the Police chowkis, they are not maintained on a regular basis and cause hindrance to police work. While the debate continues on whether to make Pali Hill a gated community or not, we can all agree that safety is not a privilege; it is a necessity in a civil society. And this beautiful neighbourhood deserves to get its peace back. Gate or no gate.
