1995-2004: BMC plans white paper on slums
Worried over the rising number of hutments and illegal constructions, the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to come up with a fact-based white paper on the slums, which were built between 1995 and 2004. The civic administration has said that despite taking regular action, a large number of the city’s hutments are built during the monsoon. According to the civic administration, the authorities are prevented from taking action on residential structures.
The civic administration will undertake a survey of hutments which have been built after the official deadline of January 1, 1995. While the state government’s stand on the extension of protection to the hutments which have been built till 2000 or 2004 remains doubtful, the civic administration will specify the number of slums which have come up till 2000 and 2004 so that the action can be taken accordingly.
The issue of encroachments and illegal hutments were discussed in the standing committee on Tuesday on the sidelines of a proposal to empower the encroachment department with vehicles to commute while taking action. Sena corporators said that despite repeated complaints, the administration was showing laxity in the removal of slums which are slowly eating up the city’s open grounds and spaces.
However, Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak said the administration was firm while dealing with encroachments. “Every month on an average 2,500 structures are demolished. Of which 1500 belong to slums and 500 are commercial and residential structures,” he said.
Phatak said encroachers in the city take the advantage of the law that stops the civic authorities from taking action on residential structures during monsoon. “Encroachers stay on footpath without a roof during other seasons. But when it starts raining, they construct a roof and then a structure,” he said.
Officials are in dilemma over the deadline during the demolition of encroachments. “There is still confusion over the protection of structures which were built till 2000 or 2004. We have to be careful while taking action on the hutments and the deadline issue creates problems,” he said.
Phatak also said the civic administration cannot stop the migrants from coming to the city as they come here to earn money and find ample opportunities. Reminding about the drive conducted by the state government more than a decade ago, Phatak said the authorities had tried to convince them to leave Mumbai and go back to their hometowns during monsoon. “Accordingly, we had even arranged transport and food, but a number of encroachers ran away and a few decided to settle in other places. No one got in to the vehicle,” he said.
The Mumbai High Court also had asked the state not to take action on residential structures during monsoon.
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