06 January,2017 08:48 AM IST | | Shailesh Bhatia
According to information compiled through various RTIs filed by three RTI, it has come to light that an open plot reserved for a playground sized 10,350 sqm in the 80s in a prime Khar west locality has shrunk to 4,951 sqm due to various instances of land grabbing over time
The reserved plot for the playground, which was originally meant to be 10,000 sqm, is now reduced to a paltry 4,951 sqm due to chunks being squirrelled away over time. The activists say it could instead serve the children from the adjacent school
Call Sherlock Holmes, it's the case of the disappearing playground. According to information compiled through various RTIs filed by three RTI activists - Robert Wiesinger, Daphne Warapen and Dileep Saptrishi - it has come to light that an open plot reserved for a playground sized 10,350 sqm in the 80s in a prime Khar west locality has shrunk to 4,951 sqm due to various instances of land grabbing over time. According to documents, the latest attempt has allegedly been made by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority that has hired a private developer, Bhavani Construction, to build a 16-storey skyscraper as part of its redevelopment of the area.
Robert Wiesinger, Daphne Warapen and Dileep Saptrishi have been filing RTIs to uncover the reasons for the playground's disappearance
Eating away slowly
While the first chunk of the land - 1,950 sqm - was lost in the 1980s to road widening, the second blow came in 1992, as the area was further reduced by 2,400 m to accommodate the Khar Police Station and housing the homeless (1,200 sqm each).
Interestingly, in 1994, the Supreme Court, taking into consideration the 1992 development plan, also directed that no construction of any dwelling unit shall be made or permitted on the remaining 6,000 sqm of the reserved plot.
However, the final blow came last week, when the activists procured a revised Letter of Intent given by the SRA to the developer and society, which reduced this reservation to 4,951 sqm, along with the station being reduced to a mere 108 sqm so that more area could allegedly be devoted to the open plot that is available for commercial sales.
"It is evident that almost 2,200 sqm has been grabbed by the builder in connivance with some government officials. The playground will be an asset for local children and over 2,500 students of the adjoining St. Elias High School," alleged Warapen.
What's SRA saying?
SM Shete, sub engineer H-west in SRA, said he was aware of the case and would be taking necessary steps to cross check the real area with the demarcated area and take requisite action.
Meanwhile, the people who stand to benefit from the SRA project also weighed in. According to Milind Kapse, there were approximately 170 families that were initially identified as being eligible for rehabilitation, but subsequently the numbers rose.
"There are families that have been residing in shanties, some as old as 1983. All we want is to be rehabilitated in the same location, as per the SRA guidelines, so that our livelihood is not affected and our children's education is not compromised."
The other side
Additionally, Mahindra Jadhav, senior estate manager of developer Bhavani Construction, contradicted the SRA's letter of intent in mid-day's possession and insisted that the information about the open plot size was incorrect. "We have all the legal permission to carry out the development as per the certified plans and are duty-bound to fulfill all its conditions," he said.
Corporator chimes in
Ashish Shelar, MLA and city BJP president said that though he was aware about the plot being bifurcated to accomodate the playground, the police station and a residential area, he did not know the exact measurements. "Not an inch of open playground space should be reduced and there should be no violation of the development control rule. Now that this discrepancy has been brought to my notice, I will get in touch with SRA officials to verify the same," he said.
