Need strict action against shanties in the sea

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

Given the hot button subject that encroachment is, it touches Mumbaikars' lives in so many different ways and it is not surprising that our reportage on encroachment of shanties being built right into the sea evinced robust response.

This paper also consequently highlighted how it was not just in the shores, but also seas that see substantial encroachment. A report in this paper stated how a sea-facing house is not elusive in pricey Mumbai. One can actually rent a hut in Mahim, with a view of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. These homes have been propped up on bamboo and stretches of the Mahim beach are overrun.

This is important as it shows homes are not just in the water but on shorelines too and expanding by the minute. It is also eye-popping that people are allowed to ‘rent' these homes, which are clearly illegal. So, naturally the earnings from these are illegal too. And yet, we have takers for these homes and an organised mafioso-like body is also collecting rent. This is stupefying and a huge indicator of how deep the rot has sunk.

Of late there has been a tremendous push towards beach clean ups. Citizens have been and are involved to a large extent. As the Ganesh festival is around the corner, we do see an uptick in environment awareness and debates about idols, etc. It just shows that people are interested in making our beaches better than what they were.

This extends to shorelines too. Let those in charge truly uproot this menace on the shores so that it is not just the sea but all around that is clean and a public space that we can show off with pride. Allowing homes to mushroom was wrong in the first place, allowing them to expand and flourish is heinous. Action, long overdue, is needed.