Santosh Daundkar says construction of the wall, which was obstructing a storm water drain outfall, was a CRZ violation
The wall was demolished after the Storm Water Drain Department sent a letter to the D ward office saying it was an obstruction to the outfall
Following several complaints from an activist from last month, a team from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday demolished a brick wall that was being illegally constructed near Malabar Hill’s Rungtha Lane storm water drain outfall. Activist Santosh Daundkar had claimed that construction of the wall was a CRZ violation. However, he said that an FIR should be registered against those involved in it due to the violation.
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The brick wall was being constructed by the members of Brighton society in the area and action was taken after the storm water drainage (SWD) department asked the D ward office to clear the encroachment. A member of the society, however, claimed that they were constructing the wall for the protection of slum dwellers.
Daundkar said that when he had complained about the same to the ward office, it did not pay any heed. Soon after, the SWD department sent the ward office a letter saying the wall was an obstruction to the outfall and it should be demolished at the earliest.
While the ward office received the letter on Monday, the demolition was carried out on Tuesday. Daundkar said, “I have demanded that an FIR should be filed in this case as the society was violating CRZ norms. The same society had earlier objected to a toilet coming up in the area saying that it was a CRZ violation and now they are constructing a wall.”
However, a member of the society said, “The demolition does not involve us. We were trying to help the slum dwellers by constructing a wall, as they needed it for their protection.”
Despite repeated attempts to contact D ward officer Prashant Gaikwad, he remained unavailable for comment.
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