At the crack of dawn, as the anti-encroachment squad of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, armed with a strong police force, descended at River Villa Housing Society in Chikhli, JCBs and poclain machines went hammer and tongs. And in a span of 10 hours, as many as 36 structurers were razed to the ground in what is being described as the biggest-ever civic action against illegal structures within the blue flood line of a river in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The PCMC action took off around 6 am following the Supreme Court’s upholding of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order on May 5. The NGT had in July last year declared 29 structures illegal, ruling that they had been constructed by violating environmental laws. The NGT had also imposed a Rs 5 crore fine on the residents for causing environmental damage. The residents had then approached the Supreme Court, which had first stayed the NGT order but then upheld it on May 5. During the demolition drive against the 29 structures, the PCMC also started flattening seven other structures that ”also violated the green laws.”
“We employed two JCBs and 14 poclain machine to bring the 36 illegal structures,” PCMC City Engineer Makrand Nikam, who supervised the demolition action, told this newspaper. A strong posse of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police ensured security for the civic team.
Nikam said there was little resistance from the residents when the drive started around 6am. “As most of the residents had moved out with their bags and baggage by late yesterday (Friday) evening, there was little resistance to the drive. Nobody tried to stop the drive,” he added. Almost all the structures were razed by 4 pm.
Asked why the PCMC did not stop the construction activity when the structures were being built, Nikam said, “We had twice served notices to the residents telling them that they cannot construct the structures without authorised civic permission. The first notice was served when they had just started constructing the structures. Even later, we had served another notice. But they did not stop their construction activity.”
When asked what action PCMC will take against other such structures constructed within the flood line, Nikam replied, “I will have to carry out a survey… I won’t be able to tell the exact figure now.”
Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh, who also arrived at the spot around 10.30 am, said the PCMC has taken action against the 36 structures as per the directions of the Supreme Court. “We will also initiate the process to recover Rs 5 crore cost from the residents as per the apex court order,” he added.
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Asked why the PCMC could not wait till the monsoon got over as demanded by the residents, the commissioner said, “We had to take the action now as during monsoon we cannot raze structures.”
The PCMC chief emphasised that they had not misinterpreted the Supreme Court order as alleged by some local residents. “The SC has reproduced the NGT order. The NGT had given six months to PCMC to demolish the structures. Since the residents had appealed in the Supreme Court, we were waiting for the final order…” he said.
Urging the residents to cross-check with PCMC and other government departments before purchasing a plot or a house, the commissioner said, “I appeal to the residents to cross-check… whether the civic body has given building permission or not, whether the layout is approved or not… Only after they have cross-checked thoroughly, the residents should go ahead with the deal.”
Asked what action the PCMC will take against those civic officials who allegedly demanded a bribe from residents to allow them to carry on with their illegal construction activity, Singh said, “If this has happened as alleged by the residents, then it is illegal and a criminal act. The residents should come forward and complain against them. They should tell us the names of the officials. We will file an FIR against them and get them arrested. We will suspend them from our services and take appropriate action against them.”
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Asked as to what action the PCMC will take against the developer, Singh said, ”PCMC cannot take action against the builder. This is because a person owning a plot of land even in a blue flood line can sell it but cannot construct a house or any other structure. It is for the residents to file a police complaint against the builder.” However, former PCMC standing committee chairperson Seema Sawale said, ”PCMC can approach the police as its own residents have been taken for a ride. PCMC is the guardian of the residents. Something seriously wrong has happened against its own residents. PCMC should seek justice for them. On the other hand, the police should also take suo motu action in the matter. The residents should also come forward and seek action against the builder.”
The commissioner said he was also pained to take the action. “However, it is also a warning to other residents to remain extra alert and not indulge in such illegal purchases,” he said.
Before the PCMC began its action, it had asked the residents to vacate their premises. It had also disconnected their water and power connections. Many of the residents said they had nowhere to go as they had sold their old house. Some of them managed to get a house on rent while some went to stay with their relatives. A few said they will put up tent at the spot and will continue live at the same place as they have no savings to move to a rented house. Several residents broke down as the PCMC machines brought down their ‘dream homes’ right in front of them.
Mahesh Patil, one of the residents who led the fight of the River Villa residents, cried inconsolably as he watched his house being demolished. “I had invested upwards of Rs 1 crore in purchasing the plot of land and in constructing the house. I had taken a loan and invested all my savings… I have to pay Rs 68,000 EMIs….I thought I got my dream house. But today it fell to the ground. Everything has turned into dust,” he said.
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Patil said they tried desperately to get the PCMC to postpone its action due to the impending monsoon. “We met several MLAs and MPs. We met PCMC officials, but none of them helped us. We wanted to explore one last option of a curative petition in the Supreme Court. But that also did not happen,” he said.
Asif Shaikh, another aggrieved resident, said, “My family invested all our savings into purchasing the plot and constructing the house. We were misled into purchasing the house by the developer and the builder. They had put up boards, saying the plot of land was in the residential zone, and, therefore, all of us purchased it and got trapped in this shady deal.”
Shaikh said he is a Muslim and is now finding it difficult to get even a rented accommodation. “We had earlier faced problems in finding a flat, as societies don’t want Muslims. We thought we would have our separate bungalow. Even that has now turned to dust. We tried to look for a rented flat, but no one is giving us a rented flat as we are Muslims,” he said.
Civic activist Avinash Chilekar said, “PCMC could have waited till the monsoon got over. The residents have been left with no roof over their heads. They have no savings left. How will they manage now? The Supreme Court had nowhere said the structures should be immediately razed.”
