Bombay High Court asks Maharashtra Government for rehabilitation plans for Tansa water pipeline

The Bombay High court on Tuesday pulled up the State government for filing an affidavit in connection with the demolition of the houses along the Tansa pipeline after the government failed to locate a place for the homeless. The affidavit was filed in response to the question raised by the HC on how the government planned to accommodate the homeless.

The court directed the chief secretary of the state to file an affidavit by April 27, mentioning the number of structures that need to be demolished, number of structures demolished till date, number of persons held eligible for rehabilitation and number of persons rehabilitated till date.

The BMC, in compliance with a previous order of the HC has been demolishing all encroachments, including the unauthorised residential and commercial structures, along the Tansa water pipeline that runs across nine administrative wards of the city. The government had decided to move the homeless to Mahul village, however, the locals refused to move there due to the pollution in that area.

A division bench of Justices AS Oka and Riyaz Chagla was uspet after they learnt that the displaced residents had not been provided with alternate accommodation till date. “The state government is not interested in ensuring that the orders of this court are complied with. Is the Chief Secretary saying that in a city like Mumbai the government cannot find a place for these persons? The state government is” not understanding the importance of the issue,” Justice Oka said.