Dahisar residents stop work by power major in CRZ area

Power cables were being laid in slums nearby, which encroach on wetlands

Alert residents of Dahisar Link Road have temporarily brought work to lay underground cables by Tata Power to a halt after they raised ob jections to the project with various authorities including the police and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA). Nov 17 2014 : Mirror (Mumbai)

The New Link Road Residents Forum (NLRRF) and environmentalists have been fighting to save the wetlands near Dahisar Link Road. Forum members said they spotted workers digging up Lanes 5 and 9 in the illegal Ganpat Patil Nagar slums on Sunday morning, which falls under Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ-1). They also saw the local BJP MLA’s [Shri Gopal Shetty] banner saying that he was responsible for this work.

The slums, spread over three km, have been one of the biggest threats to the mangroves as squatters keep trying to encroach upon the protected area. Harish Pandey, secretary, NLRRF, said, “After coming to know it was a Tate Power project, I called up the police control room first and then spoke with the workers. They told us an electric sub-station was to be set up and showed us a letter giving permission from the land owner, Samant Properties,” he added. Forum members then explained that the land was under CRZ-1 and the slums were illegal, so no work could be carried out. “They didn’t have permission from authorities like BMC, the tehsildar or the district collector.We also showed them all relevant documents, court rulings and satellite images with us, after which they agreed to stop work,” said Pandey.

Dr S P Mathew, a forum member, said, “We have sent a detailed complaint via email to MCZMA. We will follow up with the police, tehsildar’s office and the collectorate.”

Environmentalist D Stalin of NGO Vanashakti said, “It’s a shocking violation as the entire area is a CRZ-1 and all the slums are illegal as they have encroached on wetlands. Any work needs permission from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) or other concerned authorities.”

Replying to Mirror via email, Tata Power Company said, “Tata Power had initiated the LT Network laying activities inside the Ganpat Patil Nagar Slum on November 14, 2014 after receiving about 1,000 applications for power supply from the said area… All necessary permissions from the land owner were also taken as the said slum is situated on private land. Tata Power is committed to following all environment and necessary norms. Yes, the work has been stopped at present and we are waiting to show all the required permissions to the police.”