Bhaji on the beach, residents see red

On Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corpiration (BMC) razed several patches of methi from the 1.7 km-long stretch of beach following complaints from residents about the `green encroachment’. But even before the entire crop was uprooted, Khosa intervened and brought the demolition to a halt.

“There have been nearly 40 poor people growing methi here since the last 30 years at least. If they are not allowed to farm, what else will they do? As an elected representative I have to worry about them,” Khosa told Newsline, adding that the BMC should not have demolished the methi without his knowledge.

But the residents are determined to get the ban enforced. Under the aegis of the `Save Versova Beach Association’, they complained to Member of Parilament Sunil Dutt (Congress) after which Khosa says he is amenable to settling the issue amicably after discussing the farmers’ resettlement with the suburban district collector.

Says chairperson of the Save Versova Beach Association, Usha Kiran: “The cultivation was restarted after the monsoon last year. They have also blatantly expanded the cultivation to the middle of the beach. This will definitely hamper our beautification drive. Moreover, they have also dug several wells on the beach to draw non-saline water for the methi.

In 1997, Newsline had followed the residents’ campaign to beautify the beachfront by getting rid of encroachers and methi plantations. Kiran says the beautification plans will continue later this month, with the help of the state government.

The farmers, on the other hand, are extemely upset after Thursday’s demolitions. “These rich people do not know how we struggle to grow methi. The BMC ban was imposed at their behest but at least MLA Khosa is listening to our problems,” says Ram Surat Yadav, who has been growing methi here since a decade.

He says that methi is a cash crop for them as it takes only a week to grow. Every day, he adds, he and the others sell 10 kg for Rs 1,000 at the Dadar vegetable market.

“Only we know how tough it was to survive during the ban. I had to go back to my village in Uttar Pradesh but now there is some hope for us,” says Yadav. “Isn’t it better to have methi patches on the beach instead of slums,” remarks another cultivator.

Kiran, however, says the farmers are a menace as they have dug wells in the sand and also employ children to tend the methi patches. Says Rahul Barar, a member of the residents’ association: “Our first phase of the beautification plan will begin later this year with beach-levelling and cleaning of sand at a cost of Rs 2 lakh.”

He adds: “During the second phase, we shall set up lights on the beach with the Rs 5 lakh donated by (former state culture minister) Pramod Navalkar and other donations. Finally, security will also be provided to the public on the beach. “We want Versova beach to become as clean as Chowpatty is now,” says Rahul.