Fire at Bandra station: BMC to continue razing slums under Hight Court order

Thusday's fire at the Garib Nagar slums will not deter the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from demolishing the illegal shanties near the Tansa water pipeline in Bandra East. Officials from BMC, Railways and Mumbai police demolished 60 structures near the pipeline yesterday.

Following a public interest litigation, HC had ordered the demolition of all the slums that have come up near Tansa water pipeline due to safety purpose. In the H-east ward, there are more than 2,000 slums near the Tansa pipeline that need to be demolished.

As per the HC order, slums near the Tansa pipeline have to be razed. Pics/Sayed Sameer Abedi, Sameer Markande

Speaking to mid-day, assistant municipal commissioner of H-East ward, Alka Sasane, said, "There are 300 illegal shanties in Garib Nagar area that need to be demolished following the Bombay high court order. The court has given us a deadline of October 31 to raze all the slums near the Tansa water pipeline. Following that we have undertaken the demolition drive on Thursday with the help of railways and police."

She added, "Our action will continue on Friday [and] till all the remaining structures are demolished within the deadline set by high court. We have sent multiple notices to slum dwellers to evict the area as the slums have been illegal since 2015."

Rubbishing allegations that Thursday's fire was instigated by civic staff carrying out the demolition, Sasane said, "These are all false allegations made by slum dwellers, since we are taking action against their illegal work. In fact, the fire began from a different place, where action was not being taken."

2,000
Slums near Tansa pipeline that need to be demolished

300
Illegal shanties in Garib Nagar that need to be demolished

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