The idea was mooted by active citizens during a meeting with Sandhya Nandedkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of R/North ward.
BMC's R/North ward office has submitted a proposal to have a dedicated three-membered team to tackle the growing menace of encroachments mushrooming at Ganpat Patil Nagar located along the Dahisar link road, which has now become the biggest illegal slum pocket of Western suburbs.
The idea was mooted by active citizens during a meeting with Sandhya Nandedkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of R/North ward.
Citizens from Dahisar and Borivali have been up in arms against this slum pocket as these slums were built on eco-sensitive zone, which is classified as wet lands and is under Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ). An RTI indicated that there were only 404 hutments prior to year 1995 and only 1068 built between then and year 2000 but today there are more than 15,000 structures at Ganpat Patil Nagar, which continue to grow at an alarming rate destroying mangroves.
While after citizens submitted over 5000 signatures seeking strict action against encroachers, the ward office began sending notices to different commercial and residential structures at Ganpat Patil Nagar, no demolitions have occurred yet. "In a recent meeting when we enquired about action taken we were told by BMC that the staff was busy with other work too and they were also faced with staff crunch and this is when we suggested that since this was a serious issue impacting environment and civic violations BMC should have a dedicated staff for this issue," shared Harish Pandey, Secretary of New Link Road Residents Forum who welcomed the ward officers quick response.
"We have sent a proposal to the Engineering Department seeking a junior engineer, a sub engineer and a mukadam who will handle all the work pertaining to Ganpat Patil Nagar be it sending notices as well as carrying out demolitions, which will ensure regular action as well as concentrated efforts," said Nandedkar adding that they were hoping that the proposal would be sanctioned.
A senior civic official said that Ganpat Patil Nagar was flourishing due to political patronage and its only after citizens have begun series of drives that BMC and few political parties have begun seeking action. "If this slum pocket is not controlled soon it will destroy all the mangroves and hence there was no other way but to a have crack team that would cracking a whip," said the official.
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