Mumbai: The Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board (MHADA), a unit of MHADA, has granted a one-year No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Swami Vivekanand School (SVIS) in Gorai, Borivali, for the installation of a turf and the construction of a nylon net shed on its sports ground.
The approval comes after an assurance from the school’s managing trustee that the facility will be used solely for students’ academic and sports activities, with no commercial usage.
Representatives of the Swami Vivekananda Shikshan Vikas Mandal Trust met with MHADA Mumbai Board’s Chief Officer at MHADA headquarters on Friday to formally request the NOC. Following their commitment to comply with regulations and refrain from commercial use, the board approved the request.
However, the NOC is granted strictly for student use. MHADA has explicitly instructed the school administration that any unauthorized commercial activities on the playground will not be permitted.
The school had previously submitted requests on February 2, 2022, and June 1, 2022, seeking permission to install a turf and a nylon net shed. In response, MHADA Mumbai Board issued a one-year NOC on December 1, 2023, with a condition prohibiting commercial use. However, complaints surfaced regarding alleged commercial activities at the facility.
Upon the expiration of the NOC, MHADA issued a notice instructing the school to dismantle the net shed. When the institution failed to comply, MHADA, with police assistance, removed the structure on March 5 and 6, 2025.
MHADA had originally leased the plot for educational purposes under an agreement dated December 16, 1994. The lease covers 2,567.00 sq. m. for school construction and 3,308.60 sq. m. for a playground, totaling 5,875.60 sq. m. MHADA has reiterated that the ground must be used strictly for student-related academic and sports activities.
Welcoming the decision, Dinesh Lad, a cricket coach at the school, expressed his satisfaction and thanked MHADA for granting the NOC.
With the board’s clear directive against unauthorized commercial use, the school administration is expected to ensure strict adherence to the lease terms, ensuring the facility remains dedicated to students’ educational and sporting needs.
