Encroachments: No sparing the rod

Mhase said he had been told that the issue of mobile towers was pending in courts. “We are trying to find out whether the matter is sub-judice or has been decided. If the matter is being considered by the court,then we will wait till the judgement is delivered. If the matter has been decided,we will demolish the towers,” he said.

He said till that time the PCNTDA has requested the MSEDCL to cut power connections to such mobile towers. “We have sent a letter to MSEDCL to ensure that these mobile towers do not get power connections,” he said.

Civic activsts said if the PCNTDA takes action against illegal mobile towers,it would be a major move not carried out by any civic body in the city. “The danger of radiation from mobile towers has been highlighted before. The government also had to change the direction of a mobile tower in Mumbai after actress Juhi Chawli protested against radiation generated from it,” said Manav Kamble of Nagrik Haqq Suraksha Samiiti. Kamble said even the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) which had promised to monitor the functioning of mobile towers had failed to do so.

“When Dr Rajshekhar Iyer was the medical director,he had promised to launch a survey of the towers across the industrial town…Nobody know whether the survey was undertaken or not. If the survey was done,PCMC health officials should reveal the details,” he said Urging the PCNTDA to act decisively against mobile towers,activist Sachin Godamble said the move to severe power connections to mobile towers was praiseworthy. “The PCNTDA is finally taking strong action against anything that is illegal. We hope the Pradhikaran’s new initiative is not just a threat,but a fact,” he said.

Meanwhile,both the PCMC and the PCNTDA are awaiting information from the city police about providing security to their anti-encroachment drives that were put off at the last minute.

While PCMC had decided to start the drive from Monday,the PCNTDA was supposed to re-start its drive last Thursday. Both postponed the drive after blasts on JM Road on Wednesday.

“Since the police had to divert their manpower in Pune after the blasts,they had conveyed their inability to provide us the security cover for our anti-encroachment drive. Now we are waiting for their action,” said Mhase.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi said,”We are ready…the police had provide us security during our demolition drive. Until the police provide us security,we will not proceed,” said Pardeshi.