NAVI MUMBAI: After the recent crash of an illegal four-storeyed building in Shahbaz, Belapur, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has undertaken demolitions of at least 25 illegal structures across Navi Mumbai city, and also targeted close to 250 illegal hoardings and banners.
However, civic activists have demanded that there should be regular monitoring by the municipal staff in all the eight wards so that mushrooming of illegal buildings and structures is nipped in the bud.
RTI activist Anarjit Chauhan remarked, “NMMC seems to be reacting to the building crash at Shahbaz in which three persons were killed and an equal number injured. That is why around 25 demolitions have already occurred, while another 20 demolitions will take place by next month, according to insiders. However, I feel that the ward officials and those in the anti-encroachment cell must regularly patrol their respective wards and areas so that such illegal structures are not allowed to crop up. The illegal building at Shahbaz, which collapsed, had been standing at the site for several years. It is impossible that the local ward officials were not aware of this illegality. I, therefore, feel that the errant officials must also be punished.”
Chauhan added that bribery and corruption in general is also responsible for allowing illegal activities, like illegal buildings and encroachments, to take place. “In the earlier Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, which killed 17 persons, the state government woke up and started taking notice of various illegal hoardings and outdoor advertisements across MMR. However, why should the government react only after a tragedy occurs and people die? This means that basic safety rules of building construction and those of installation of hoardings were overlooked in the past, due to corruption,” he said.Mumbai Mirror also contacted NMMC commissioner Kailas Shinde to ask if the civic body has set any particular target to achieve with regards to demolition of illegal structures. Commissioner Shinde, however, only said that at the moment they are trying to demolish as many illegal structures as possible, and the exact numbers can be discussed later.
An NMMC spokesperson also informed that they have pulled down over 211 hoardings and banners (till August 7), in the Nerul and Belapur nodes alone. The drive against illegal structures will continue.
Another city-based activist, Rajeev Mishra, who had filed a PIL in the Bombay high court against illegal buildings in Navi Mumbai in 2013, said, “I have now filed a contempt case against the civic body in high court since many illegal buildings are still standing. The maximum number of illegal buildings and under-construction illegal buildings are in Ghansoli node. Hence, I expect the authorities to take stringent action against them, without the fear of any political interference.”
Mishra further said that according to a reliable estimate, there are over 100 illegal under-construction buildings in Ghansoli, which is a serious issue. “Also, I have reminded the state authorities of its own GR (government resolution) issued in 2009, which states that all civic bodies must have alert civic policing cells in order to stop illegal constructions. All the good rules exist on paper, but sadly the bad guys are making a mockery of the rules and building illegal constructions,” he said.
Meanwhile, another senior civic official from NMMC head-office said they are aware of the demand for contempt proceedings, but they are regularly demolishing illegal structures in all the wards, including the most important ones, such as Vashi, Nerul, Belapur, Turbhe, Ghansoli and Airoli, among others. Recently, NMMC also cut water supply connections to two illegal housing buildings in Vashi ward.
