PILs filed to save Tansa pipeline slums till April

Mumbai: Congress MLA Arif Naseem Khan on Monday filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Bombay high court seeking a stay on the ongoing demolition drive around Tansa water pipeline till April 2018.

Mr Khan demanded that the slumdwellers should be shifted within 3-km radius of their present homes. The PIL was mentioned before the chief justice on Monday.

“We are not against removal of encroachments from pipeline but many resident residing between Saki Naka and Milin Nagar, Powai, parallel to the pipeline told me that the demolition drive is being carried out in the middle of the academic year, due to which studies of thousands of students has been affected adversely,” he said.

Mr Khan pointed out that BMC has provided alternate accommodation at Mahul, which is 25-km away from the slumdwellers’ current homes. Apart from Mr Khan, the other petitioners of the PIL include Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar Rahiwasi Sangh and Maharashtra Nagar Rahiwasi Sangh.

The petitioners demanded that the PAPs at the HDIL project in Kurla (west). They have also requested the court to stay the demolition drive till April 2018 so that final exams of students are over.

According to the petitioners, the civic body carried out demolition of around 200 in Kurla area on November 9 without following due procedure leaving hundreds of people homeless. The petitioners have requested the court to grant stay on demolition drive till April 2018.