Mumbai: Illegal beach houses in Mahim a new challenge for cops

Some of the huts offer an unhindered view of the sea link

A Sea-Facing house is not a distant dream in Mahim. One can rent a hut with an unhindered view of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link for R8,000-R10,000 a month. As civic authorities turn a blind eye to violations despite repeated complaints, 20 to 25 shanties have sprung up on the seafront, said locals. Propped up by bamboos, these beach houses that can collapse at any time are homes to 100 to 150 people.

Vigilant citizens from the neighbourhood said people having their houses near the shore have extended the structures towards the sea. Mahim has a wide shore sharing it with Bandra reclamation and Dadar and patches of it are now being encroached upon, they said. mid-day asked a man living in an illegal hut about the risks the structures face due to high tide.

Also read: Mumbai: Sea-facing is passe, illegal homes come up in water

The huts that have sprung up on Mahim beach. Pics/Ashish Raje

"We are legal residents, we have been living here for the last 15 to 20 years. During high tide, the water comes below our homes but that's just for a couple of hours in a day, it doesn't last long. The houses are strongly built and are as good as cement structures. It won't fall down," he said with a smile.

For Mahim residents, the slums that are growing in numbers have become a menace, prompting them to complain to the BMC and the Collector. The illegal structures are also a new law and order challenge for the Mahim police that have to consistently keep an eye on the shore.

"Every other day, residents call us about scuffles or fights involving the slum dwellers on the beach. It has become a nuisance. Some even consume ganja. We have a compulsory night patrolling on the beach to avoid any untoward incident," said a police officer requesting anonymity.

The huts are available for a monthly rent of Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000, said locals. Pic/Ashish Raje

Abdulla Khan, a Mahim resident for 35 years, is disturbed due to the brazen encroachment. "My house sits at one end of the seashore. One shanty came near my place eight years ago, then it became two and now there are four shanties. I had written to BMC officials when the first one came up. They demolished the structure but it again came up and was never removed. I kept on writing about this menace but nobody bothered to pay attention. Now, several shanties have cropped up on the beach. These residents sell snacks adding to the garbage issue on the beach," he said.

Another Mahim resident threw more light on the illegality. "These are all criminal-minded people who are indulging in drugs. The Narcotics Control Bureau had also raided the shanties and recovered drugs from there. The shanties are even given on rent ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000," he said, requesting not to be identified. Kulfi seller Santosh Sawant has seen the undesired transformation of the popular Mahim beach.

"I have been selling kulfis on Mahim and Dadar beaches for the last 20 years. Earlier, this beach was clean and encroachment-free, people used to come and sit here with families and enjoy the setting sun. But now there are huts on the beach. The residents have electricity connections and they get water somehow. We get shooed away by cops and corporation officials but the encroachment remains intact, I wonder how," he said. Despite repeated attempts, Sharad Ughade, assistant municipal commissioner of G-south ward, remained unavailable.

150
No of people living in the beach huts at Mahim