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New Indian Express
6 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Bapatla Collector orders eco-friendly practices in aqua industry, resorts in Andhra
GUNTUR: Bapatla District Collector J Venkata Murali has directed aqua industry operators, resort owners and hoteliers to run their establishments in an environmentally responsible manner. During a review meeting held at the Collectorate on Thursday, he emphasised the need to safeguard local irrigation resources and prevent pollution. He instructed aqua unit owners to allocate at least half an acre for waste management and warned against discharging waste into agricultural canals. All prawn processing units must comply with government regulations and implement environmental safeguards within 45 days, he ordered. Of the 20 aqua hatcheries in the district, seven are operating without licenses and were mandated to obtain permits within a month. Resort owners were advised to reduce plastic use and shift to glass alternatives. He emphasised compliance with Coastal Regulation Zone norms.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Indian Express
Behind action on Madh Island's illegal bungalows, driver who turned to RTI
EARLIER THIS month, when veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty received a show cause notice from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for allegedly carrying out illegal construction at his Madh Island bungalow, it drew attention to a larger, quieter crackdown along Mumbai's fragile western coastline, stretching from Versova to Borivali. In recent weeks, the BMC has issued over 100 notices and razed nearly 30 unauthorised structures in the ecologically sensitive Madh Island, a popular spot in north Mumbai for film shoots and weekend retreats. Behind this sweeping clean-up lies a determined, nearly decade-long battle by Vaibhav Thakur, a 45-year-old driver from Thane whose family owns ancestral land in Erangal village, Madh Island. Thakur's fight began in April 2016 during a routine visit to his family's 2,400 sqft plot, where he discovered encroachments and an under-construction bungalow owned by Rupa Bharat Mehta, wife of businessman Bharat Mehta. Blocked by Mehta's security guards from accessing his plot and shocked to see new residential structures coming up in an area governed by strict Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules, Thakur began a campaign to reclaim his plot. Under CRZ norms, especially in sensitive zones such as Madh Island, new construction is prohibited unless it is essential public infrastructure. Yet, bungalows were being built, often for commercial uses, particularly film shoots that fetched lakhs in rent. Thakur began by documenting the encroachment on his plot and filed multiple applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. 'I was working as a driver in a media house by day, and at night I would be online, learning about CRZ rules, RTI procedures, and land laws,' he says. His activism prompted the BMC to issue a notice to the Mehta family, who defended the construction by producing an old map indicating a bungalow on the site since before the 1960s. This was a crucial detail since bungalows that predate the inclusion of their areas under BMC jurisdiction (early 1960s) are exempt under CRZ rules. Thakur, who had grown up in the area, responded by filing RTIs with the City Survey Office (CSO), the authority responsible for maintaining historical land records. In 2018, the CSO confirmed that no structure existed on the land before the 1960s. In February 2019, he filed another RTI request with the CSO, this time asking for pre-1960 maps of the area. The reply this time contradicted the first response, showing construction on what was officially designated agricultural land. 'I thought somebody at the CSO must be fabricating and forging official records of the maps. When I brought this to the attention of the CSO, initially, there was no response. However, around the same time, digitisation of old maps was taking place in Mumbai and during this process, the CSO itself found discrepancies in its own maps,' says Thakur. This culminated in an FIR in 2020 against unnamed agents, landowner and CSO staff responsible for forged maps, followed by a second FIR in 2021 naming bungalow owner Mehta for allegedly submitting forged maps. Notably, no government official was initially named, something Thakur protested as a cover-up. Thakur didn't stop there, going on to file multiple FIRs and seeking to inspect land record maps that showed the existence of buildings that came up pre-1960. He went on to uncover 865 allegedly falsified entries across Madh Island, Bandra, Vile Parle, Chembur, Goregaon, Borivali and Malad. A third FIR followed, again against agents, landowners and office staff allegedly responsible for forged maps. But once again, no name was mentioned. 'These FIRs were mostly eyewash. Real action was missing. That's when I started approaching political leaders,' Thakur says. The issue was brought up in the state Assembly in 2022, prompting the formation of an independent committee to investigate the allegedly forged documents and identify those responsible. The committee's report confirmed that the papers submitted for constructing bungalows on and around Thakur's plot were indeed forged. But when no police action followed, last year, Thakur filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, demanding a 'proper investigation'. On October 23, 2024, a Bombay High Court bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj K Chavan, while seeking quick investigation in the case, observed, 'The complainant has a legitimate expectation that once the C.R. [crime record] is registered, the same will be taken to its logical end, expeditiously. This legitimate expectation cannot be ignored.' The High Court then ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Mumbai Crime Branch to investigate the four FIRs registered in connection with the case. The SIT has since arrested over 20 individuals, including Deputy Superintendent Shambhuraj Wabde and Deputy Land Records Officer Meena Pandhre. On March 10 this year, the issue was again raised in the Assembly by BJP MLCs Vikrant Patil and Praveen Darekar. Darekar said, 'This question has been raised in the Assembly for the past five years. We cannot back the rich and powerful and take away rights of the poor… If some poor person erects a slum, the entire machinery is activated. Here you have film stars, industrialists and influential people creating illegal structures but not a brick is demolished.' Revenue Minister Chandrashekar Bawankule responded, 'While some government officials have been part of this racket, one has to congratulate the complainant, one Vaibhav Thakur, who tired of no action being taken, filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court…' Announcing the suspension of Wabde and Pandhre, the minister added, 'The clerks under them would take the maps from the offices, forge them to show structures on them and replace the same.' He said that maps of areas under four BMC wards, including Madh Island, had been forged in this manner to enable structures to come up in CRZ areas. Bawankule said the government would ensure that structures that have come up illegally in CRZ areas would be demolished. Following this, the SIT submitted a list of 'forged maps' to the BMC, which launched a drive to demolish illegal constructions in Madh Island and surrounding areas. An SIT officer confirmed that the list of plots with forged maps was handed over to the BMC for further action. BMC P North ward officer Kundan Valvi said, 'Based on the list provided by the Crime Branch we have issued notices to illegal bungalows and also carried out demolitions. While notices have been issued to 101 bungalows, demolitions at 28 structures have taken place.' The notice to actor Mithun Chakraborty was part of this crackdown. Last month, the bungalow on Thakur's plot was finally demolished. 'I am a happy man now. I don't think people who built bungalows in violation of laws thought their structures would be demolished. In order to show that maps were forged in our case, I had to prove the scale at which it was happening. Hence, while it started out as my own fight, we had to include all such cases.' But Thakur insists his fight is not over yet. 'While they have demolished the bungalow, the foundation has not been removed and the accused have hired bouncers who don't let me access my own plot. I will approach the authorities again,' he says.
United News of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
SC declines to intervene in plea against Colaba Jetty Project near Gateway of India
New Delhi, May 27 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court's decision allowing the continuation of construction work on a passenger jetty project near the Gateway of India in Mumbai's Colaba area. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, while hearing the special leave petition filed by residents, questioned the opposition to the infrastructure development. 'Why this 'not in my backyard' behaviour? Everyone wants a sewage treatment plant, but not behind their home,' remarked the CJI. 'There is also a proposal to connect Vashi and Dombivli on the sea route,' he added, highlighting the broader public benefit of such initiatives. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the project was intended to create a private docking facility primarily for those travelling by ferry to Alibaug. However, additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati refuted the claim, asserting that the jetty is meant for daily commuters. 'It is incorrect... the attorney general has clarified that the project is for daily commuters. It was all over the media reports,' she said. The Bombay High Court, in its order dated May 7, had allowed the work at the site, finding that the project served public interest and declined to grant interim relief to the petitioners. Located approximately 280 metres from the historic Gateway of India, the project involves the development of passenger amenities including lounges, ticket counters, retail shops, office spaces, and parking facilities for up to 150 vehicles. The petitioners have raised concerns over the legality of various clearances granted for the project, including the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) approval and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from heritage and traffic authorities. They also cited the lack of mandatory public consultation as a significant procedural lapse. Despite these concerns, the Supreme Court bench declined to intervene, allowing the Bombay High Court's order permitting the project's continuation to stand. UNI SNG PRS
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Second residents' body moves SC against jetty project at Gateway of India
MUMBAI: A second residents' association has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court's refusal to halt the construction of a jetty project near the Gateway of India. The Clean and Heritage Colaba Residents Association (CHCRA) has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the High Court's interim order dated May 7, 2025, which allowed concrete piling work at the seabed near Radio Club to proceed. This comes a week after the Cuffe Parade Residents' Association president moved the apex court with a similar petition. CHCRA's petition, filed through advocates Ayush Anand and Prerak Choudhary, argues that the construction work poses a serious threat to the seaside heritage wall near the Gateway of India and questions whether the High Court erred in failing to weigh the balance of convenience and the potential for irreparable damage. Earlier, in its May 2 order, the High Court had recorded an assurance from the Advocate General of Maharashtra that the heritage wall would not be touched before June 20, 2025. The court had scheduled the next hearing for June 16. However, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) began piling work—a process involving fixing concrete piles into the seabed—the very next day, on May 3. CHCRA has alleged that this move was aimed at bypassing the interim protection granted by the court. The association subsequently filed an application seeking a stay on all piling activity, but the High Court dismissed it on May 7. The petition also challenges the project's compliance with environmental regulations. It points out that the 2022 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification only permits 'stand-alone jetties' in CRZ-I and CRZ-IV areas. In contrast, the current proposal seeks clearance for 10 jetties, which CHCRA describes as 'ex facie illegal and impermissible'. The petition further contends that the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the MMB have approved the Passenger Jetty and Terminal Facilities project without adequately considering objections from local residents and stakeholders. It cites Rule 8(V) of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Rules, which requires that public concerns be addressed before such approvals are granted. Additionally, the association has raised concerns over the MCZMA's alleged failure to acknowledge the presence of the heritage seawall—a significant feature of the Gateway of India precinct. Demolition of this wall, the petition argues, would cause irreversible harm to the city's architectural legacy. Accusing the High Court of overlooking the heritage concerns, CHCRA has urged the Supreme Court to grant an ex parte interim stay on the May 7 order and to restrain the state government from taking any coercive action against the petitioners.
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Timeframe to clear waste, availability of land parcels: Contractors raise queries about clearing legacy waste from Deonar dumping ground
Contractors who have evinced interest in taking up the project of clearing the Deonar dumping ground in Mumbai on Friday attended the first pre-bid meeting, where they expressed concerns over the deadline of three years given by the BMC to clear the piles of legacy waste from the land parcel. On May 14, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) floated a tender worth Rs 2,368 crore for clearing 271 acres (110 hectares) of 311 acres of the Deonar dumping ground through the process of bioremediation within three-years. Currently, the dumping ground houses 1.85 crore metric tonnes of legacy waste that has been lying at the site for nearly a century. The BMC's move of floating the tender came after the state government, in October last year, allocated a 124-acre portion of the Deonar landfill to construct housing tenements under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP)—a venture steered by the Maharashtra government and the Adani group. In its tender document, civic officials mentioned that 110 hectares or 271 acres of the land will be cleared by them. On Friday, civic officials held a pre-bid meeting where as many as 21 contractual firms participated. Civic officials said of the total number of participants, nine of them have submitted written queries to the authorities. These firms were pan-India companies; some of them having base in Hyderabad, Chennai, and other cities. 'The queries raised by officials were mainly related to logistical challenges. A large number of them shared their concern about how such a large pile of legacy waste could be cleared within a period of three-years. They also shared queries about how they are going to acquire the environmental clearances and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from the state government and whether we (BMC) will be deputing any nodal officer for the same,' an official privy to the development told The Indian Express. Civic officials said another key concern that the contractors have raised was the availability of additional land parcels, which will be required for depositing the treated solid waste. The BMC had also mentioned in its tender that 23,000 metric tonnes of solid waste needs to be processed daily, which will require mobilization of 1,200 trucks per day. 'Just because 21 firms have shown interest doesn't mean that all of them will submit their bids. The final day for submitting bids is June 3, and we are expecting to issue work orders by the second week next month, provided there is adequate response from bidders,' the official said. The process of bioremediation involves treating garbage items with the help of natural elements such as air, sunlight, and microorganisms. As part of the process, in the first step, the BMC will carry out a mechanized excavation process to bring down the piles of waste at the spot. Following this, the entire mound of solid waste will be segregated. The BMC will also set up a temporary makeshift processing facility inside the dumpsite to carry out segregation operations. Post segregation, the biodegradable waste will be allowed to decompose naturally, while the non-biodegradable waste will be either recycled or sent to waste treatment centres for their final disposal. In 2018, the BMC initiated cleaning a 60-acre dumping ground at Mulund in suburban Mumbai that was operational from 1968 to 2018. According to data furnished by the authorities, in the past seven years, the civic body has been able to remove around 47 lakh metric tonnes or 67 per cent of the the total 70 lakh metric tonne of solid waste at the Mulund dumping ground. Data also shows that till date, the BMC has been able to reclaim 25 acres of land out of the total 60-acre land parcel. Compared to this, the quantum of waste that needs to be cleaned at Deonar dump is almost three times that of Mulund, and the area that needs to be reclaimed is four times.
