After 3-year battle, 10,000 sqft NDZ plot cleared of debris

MUMBAI: After a three-year battle with the authorities, a more than 10,000 sq metres no-development zone-green zone (NDZ-GZ) plot adjacent to Dheeraj Valley Complex, Goregaon (E), has been cleared. This plot runs along Walbhat river and belongs to Aarey as per a 1991 DP.
Debris has been dumped on the plot and there is unauthorized parking, particularly by vanity vans, which causes a nuisance to local residents.
Locals alleged that the plot was formed by altering the course of Walbhat River, which used to flow a few metres down the slope of Mohan Gokhale Road. In 2020, the land faced commercial exploitation with the felling of trees and establishment of garages, construction material shops, nurseries and vanity van parking. This prompted an outcry from residents.
Advocate Abhilash Panickar, a local resident, stated, "Despite an FIR and a chargesheet being filed, land-filling continues, with the unloading of debris and increased parking of vanity vans."
When Panickar attended the MRTP hearings he was shocked to learn that there was zero conviction in prosecutions initiated by BMC under MRTP Act.
"This was due to purposeful omission by BMC in following procedure. The vanity vans are discharging human waste right into the Walbhat and when it spills onto the road the stench is unbearable around a 100-metre area," he said.
In 2021, the issue was raised with the Lok Ayukta, who wrote to BMC about the violations. Jayshree Puthran, another resident, said despite an FIR and a chargesheet, land-filling continued.
BMC had last month placed a banner declaring it an NDZ. The banner states that BMC has not granted any permission for setting up a parking lot on the land. Therefore, any parking at the site will be met with appropriate legal action.