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Mumbai: Encroachment biggest hurdle in way of cycle track building

The BMC has demolished more than 16,000 huts along 10 meter territory of the pipeline. However, there are still more than 4,000 encroachment

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Hutments along the Tansa pipeline
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Though the BMC is constructing a cycle track along with Tansa pipeline to ensure that the pipeline will remain encroachment free in the future, ironically the biggest hurdle is encroachment itself in planning of cycle tracks. The BMC has demolished more than 16,000 huts along 10 meter territory of the pipeline. However, there are still more than 4,000 encroachment. With the high court questioning the rehabilitation camp in Mahul due to quality of life and infrastructure issue the rehabilitation has deferred even the action on encroachment.

The BMC demolished encroachments along the pipeline, following the Bombay High Court's 2009 order. Court ordered to protect the water pipeline from slum encroachments and instruct to free 10 meters area on both sides of the line. In an earlier survey, the BMC had identified around 16,717 structures along the pipeline. In 2017 civic body started a massive campaign and allotted more than 5,000 homes in Mahul area. But tenants sighting infrastructure and pollution problem in Mahul, the high court stayed on demolition drive.

"The high court raised questions on the status of Mahul. There isn't any alternative accommodation for hutments. So we can't demolish structures. They are mainly in three area - Kurla, Wadala, and Bandra east," said an officer from encroachment department. As of now, there are 4,709 encroachments. There are 867 huts which don't have high court protection but as they have a common wall with another hut which has the stay from HC, we can't take action on them also, he added. "We have 2,500 vacant homes in Mahul. We are also renovating 4,500 homes in the nearby area. But since the matter is pending with the court, we cannot comment on that," an officer from the estate department told to DNA.

Besides that, officials said that there is another issue. The BMC's demolition squad had razed hundreds of unauthorized slums last year. However, the railways and other winds of the civic administration have been unable to secure the plot and the shanties cropped up again on the spot like Bandra station.

OTHER CHALLENGES

BMC’s demolition squad razed 100s of unauthorised slums in 2017. The Railways & civic body was unable to secure plot & shanties have cropped up again close to Bandra station

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