Slums near pipelines in Mumbai will have to go

Illegal encroachments in the vicinity of the water pipelines are a major headache for the civic body. Because of them, it has become tough for the BMC to keep a strict watch on the pipelines, and act promptly in the event of a pipe burst.

So, the BMC has decided that it will remove these encroachments in a phased manner. There are some 35,000 illegal structures over and around the pipelines across the city. Following a Bombay high court order in May last year, the civic body demolished about 2,500 hutments. But at that time, there being not enough alternative accommodations for people who lost their homes, the BMC had to halt its drive. Now, with the alternative accommodations ready at Mahul, it will resume the drive against the slums.

Additional municipal commissioner Anil Diggikar said, “There are 7,000 alternative tenements at Mahul for the project affected people. They are ready except for water supply and electricity connection. It will take another four months at the most to get the connections, following which the BMC will start the programme of shifting slum dwellers.”

The standing committee has demanded tight security for water pipelines as they could be targeted by terrorists. “The pipelines are in bad shape and pose a grave security hazard. Someone can inject poison into these pipelines, and hold the city to ransom,” Ashsish Shelar, BJP leader in the BMC, said.