Mumbai: Bitterly opposed to Metro on its land, Salt Department ignores encroachment

About 200 shanties have come up on land belonging to the Salt Department at Bhandup East

The alacrity with which the Centre's Salt Department opposed the state's decision to set up a Metro car shed on salt pans at Kanjurmarg seems to have evaporated when it comes to encroachment. Barely 300 to 400 metres from the Metro site, illegal hutments have mushroomed on the department's land at Bhandup, mid-day found on Tuesday. The unauthorised shanties sit half a kilometre from the office of the Superintendent of Salt.

The illegal hutments sit barely half a kilometre from the salt superintendent's office. Pics/Sameer Markande

The department and the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra are at loggerheads over the ownership of the 102 acres that were set aside for the mass transit project, which was earlier planned at Aarey Colony. mid-day found more than 200 makeshift structures made of bamboo and tarpaulin on the land that were once used to produce salt from seawater. There are also a few brick-and-mortar units with water connections.

Activist Stalin D from non-profit Vanashakti who had fought to save the Aarey land accused the salt superintendent's office of turning a blind eye to the unauthorised structures and destruction of mangroves on their land. Sources said the land mafia has been filling the depressed plots with construction debris at night to erect the shanties. Last year, environmentalist Nandakumar Pawar had filed a complaint and recorded his statement before the Talati, a revenue official, of Kanjurmarg about illegal occupation of salt pans bearing survey number CTS275. He had also raised concerns over dumping of debris, saying it would destroy the floodplain and mangroves.

Hutments apart, there are also a few brick-and-mortar structures with water connections

Pawar told mid-day, "Despite my complaint, no action was taken. Now, all these areas have been covered with illegal shanties. How has it gone unnoticed by the police? Lessees are claiming ownership of these lands. Why can't authorities take any preventive action against the illegal landfill on ecologically sensitive areas?" Stalin slammed the Salt Department over its bitter opposition to the car shed. "They say they cannot remove dumped mud and debris from salt pans. But when important projects like the Metro start work, the department becomes proactive to stop it."

Salt Department's defence
mid-day also visited the office of the Superintendent of Salt, ministry of commerce and industry, at Bhandup East. The superintendent said they are aware of the illegal encroachment. The official said, "Our office has already approached the police for protection after which the illegal structures will be demolished. The encroachment increased during the lockdown."