Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed around 470 shanties from a seven-acre land in Chembur over the past three days. It will continue to take action against the 200-odd shanties that still encroach the land.
Chembur has two State government plots, a 2.5-acre one abutting the Ghatkopar Mankhurd Link Road belonging to the Salt Pan Commissioner and a five-acre land in Nagewadi partially covered with mangroves. Both plots have been encroached upon for years with around 700 shanties cropping up on them. Some years ago, a local residents association staked claim to the salt pan land. The matter is sub-judice.
Recently, a meeting was held between all the stakeholders, including the BMC, the Collector’s office, the Forest Department and the Salt Pan Commission. It was decided that joint action will be taken to free the land of encroachment. They enlisted the local police’s support for the same.
Action started earlier this week, with 120 officers and staffers supervising the demolitions. Nearly 140 policemen from the Tilak Nagar police station were guarding them at the site. Demolition started on Tuesday, and around 300 shanties were demolished till Friday.
“We will demolish the remaining 200 shanties from the plot as well,” said a civic official from the M West ward.
“We have dug a five-foot trench inside the plot to ensure it is not encroached upon again or that vehicles don’t start plying. We have confiscated the material used to construct these shanties,” Bharat Marathe, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, said.
