Week after slums are razed, shanties return near garden

A week after the demolition of illegal slums near the Bayview Marina Garden in Cuffe Parade, the encroachers have made a comeback and set up shanties again. The residents have slammed the government for failing to ensure that the land remains free of encroachments. The BMC has assured the residents that another demolition will be carried out in the area and the shanties will be demolished. The first demolition was conducted in the presence of the police on November 21.

"The government agencies are failing to protect their own land. We have been complaining about the illegal slums in our locality since a long time. The slums were cleared partly but now they are back," said Padmakar Nandekar, secretary general, Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA). "Taxpayers' money is used for demolition. Besides, machinery and power is wasted when the encroachers come back to the same place on which the demolition work was carried out," added Nandekar.

Another resident said, "The BMC should carry out swift demolition drives inorder to protect the city's open spaces."

Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, A ward of BMC, said, "We will conduct the demolition drive again so that the slums are cleared. We will chalk out a permanent solution for the issue soon."