Clean up the transit camps: High Court

The bench gave its order while hearing a petition filed by Mumbai Bhadekaru Sangh.The transit camps are accommodations provided to residents of buildings declared dilapidated and unsafe by MHADA and other government agencies.The petitioner alleged that in spite of the high cess paid regularly, neither the old premises are restored nor the condition of the transit accommodation hasimproved due to MHADA’s negligence and callous attitude.

Taking serious note of the MHADA’s indifference, Justice Saraf said some deadline will have to be set for providing basic amenities to all the camps in the city. Petitioners’ counsel Ramrao Adik argued that life in the transit camps has gone from bad to worse. “For instance, 84-year-old Sakhubai Maruti Jauskar lives with her five grand daughters in the Sion transit camp since June 1997. Lawoo Sitaram Sakpal was issued a notice by MHADA to vacate the chawl but has not been provided any alternative accommodation mandatory under the MHADA Act, 1976. Another petitioner Shivram Bobhate has been at the Sion transit camp since June 1981 wondering when his reconstructed house will be restored to him,” he said.

Many tenements have no doors and windows rendering them unsafe, Adik informed the court. The petition alleged that of the total 20,862 tenements, around 1,700 were unauthorisedly occupied, and MHADA has failed to take any action. Govilkar repliedthat the government and MHADA do evict such illegal occupants, however their number keeps growing and MHADA does not have enough resources to contain them.