Newlinkroad's Blog

Illegal encroachments surge in IC colony

Afternoon Dispatch and Courier Tuesday, May 03, 2011

By Adnan Attarwala

Ganpat Patil Nagar in IC colony is witness to a steady rise in illegal encroachments by slum dwellers, who have built up prosperous businesses in these slums

Besides increasing illegal encroachment by the slum dwellers, who have built up slums at Ganpat Patil Nagar at IC colony between Borivili and Dahisar, the plot of landis of late being used as a spot for parking tourist buses. The 50 acre slums infamous for causing environmental destruction, had earlier forced activists of the New Link Road Resident Forum to file an RTI, which revealed that illegal shanties had grown from 400 in 1995 to 15,000 in 2010. One month ago, activists had approached Mantrayala to highlight the issue of illegal parking, at which point the authorities gave them a letter stating that no buses will be allowed to park in the area. But when the activists approached the BMC they said they did not have the authority to prohibit bus operators. 

Besides that, there has been a massive theft of water and electricity by the squatters, who have established dyeing, andpaper industries and set up businesses including medical shops, eateries, and general stores without licenses. Water is being robbed from the area’s central pipeline by homesteaders who make holes in the pipe and insert smaller pipes to extract water. These slumdwellers are dirtying the water and not content with the supply, they are stealing electricity from street poles,” said Harish Pandey, member of the Forum which filed a PIL seeking protection of the mangrove.  

Since there had been a rampant growth of shanties the forum had conducted a satellite survey, which showed that the structures that size as big as 2,000 sq ft were built without permission, despite the fact that the area falls under CoastalRegulation Zone guidelines. According to the forum, when the BMC began carrying out demolitions in accordance with the court order, most of the slum dwellers produced forged documents and managed to get a stay order. “Despite being illegal denizens they managed to get a stay order from the court,” Harish added. According to him, the RTI inquiryrevealed that the encroachers were protected by a local Congress corporator, who had taken initiative to get the private land declared as a slum to ensure that SRA project is taken up for rehabilitation. “We are not against those who have been living here legally before 1995 but then they should not damage the environment” he added.

Now the encroachments have grown to such an extent that they extend right up to the coastal area which the activists say can give rise to terrorist and smuggling activities as boats can easily ply over there and could provide direct access to terrorists while the mangroves can be utilised as storage place for contraband. 

When contacted Vinod Gosalkar, Shiv Sena MLA of Dahisar he said that they have cut the 18 inch water pipeline and the electricity cable to prevent thefts in the future but displayed helplessness saying that they had approached the CM, collector and even the court against the encroachers but have received no response. “We have planned to appoint an agency along with the BMC to verify the documents of the slum dwellers” said Gosalkar. 

Deputy municipal commissioner, Bharat Marathe stated earlier that it was suggested to the BMC authority that wiringfencing should be done to prevent further encroachments. “I am unaware of the illegal parking of the tourist buses and will look into it. All these issues will be discussed in the next meeting on May 6,” said Marathe.