Mumbai residents protest against BMC's footpath encroachments in Chandivali

Residents in the Powai-Chandivali area of Mumbai organized a protest after they got tired of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC’s) prolonged inaction regarding encroachments on the Adityavardhan Raheja Vihar Road footpath. Frustrations peaked as residents of a housing society and members of the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA) voiced their discontent on Tuesday. Eventually, the BMC's L ward office responded by deploying a bulldozer to demolish a recently erected structure.
Mandeep Singh Makkar, a founding member of CCWA, asserted that the encroachments were merely a ploy to acquire land in anticipation of the proposed road widening initiative in Chandivali. Makkar criticized this as a political strategy whereby footpaths are encroached upon, compensation is claimed, and projects are intentionally delayed. He suggested that politicians use such tactics to fund banners and hoardings at the expense of public amenities. CCWA had previously raised concerns about multiple shops emerging on the footpath, but the BMC remained unresponsive until the community took to the streets.
A resident from Adityavardhan housing society highlighted the encroachment issue dating back over a year. He said that initially a nursery appeared on the footpath, subsequently attracting numerous shops and food joints. V M Mohankumar, chairman of the housing society, revealed that individuals with a JCB cleared the footpath at night, creating a shed for three shops. When asked for documentation authorizing the permanent cement structures, the encroachers failed to provide proof and redirected the concerned residents to the local police station.
The society is taking its case to the police station for further action despite already having written letters to authorities and used social media to spotlight the problem. Dhanaji Herlekar, assistant commissioner of L ward, acknowledged the presence of anti-social elements seeking to encroach on the land. He clarified that the demolished structure was erected on a road, and immediate action was taken by the BMC as soon as it got the information.
BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal's budget speech underscored plans to map footpaths on major roads wider than nine meters. The initiative aims to identify areas which lack footpaths or have footpaths in poor condition for expedited construction of concrete footpaths with international surface designs. The budget allocates a token provision of 200 crore for this comprehensive footpath enhancement project, signalling the BMC's commitment to improving pedestrian infrastructure.
This story was earlier published in Hindustan Times

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Mumbai residents protest against BMC's footpath encroachments in Chandivali

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