Tansa pipeline slum demolition resumes

To keep the city's water supply contamination-free and make the water pipeline more secure, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to continue its drive to evict slum-dwellers residing near the Tansa pipeline even during the monsoon.

The BMC states it will remove encroachments in a phased manner. There are some 35,000 illegal structures surrounding pipelines across the city.

Following a Bombay high court order in May 2009, the civic body demolished about 2,500 hutments. But due to lack of alternative accommodations, the BMC had to halt its drive. Now, with alternative accommodations ready at Mahul, the drive will be resumed.

In the first phase, the civic body has selected two wards to initiate this scheme — G-north and S-ward, which covers Dadar, Mahim, Prabhadevi as well as Vikhroli and Bhandup. According to civic officials, 45 slum-dwellers have been evicted so far during this monsoon.

The BMC plans to take similar steps in slums around the pipelines in seven other wards, including Ghatkopar, Mulund, Chembur, Andheri (East), Matunga, Dadar (East), Bandra (East), Santa Cruz (East), and Kurla, in the second phase.