Debris builds sea-saw at Versova beach

Protests from the Save Versova Beach Association, which represents residents from buildings along the coastal stretch, have been repeatedly ignored; why even a promise from Sunil Dutt, Congress MP from Mumbai North-West, to get the debris removed is yet to yield any result.

Sagir Kutir residents say the waves have never been so powerful, neither has the seawater inundated their huts before. “All my belongings were washed up last week as my hut is right next to the sea. We had to shift to the middle of the beach or perish before the waves,” says Chandu Khudana, a hutment-dweeller.

His neighbour says that the force of the high tide is usually felt only after June, when the monsoon is alreay underway. This time pre-monsoon waves, unable to find an outlet at the southern end of the beach, breached the flimsy walls of their homes.

The illegal reclamation at the northern end began weeks ago, when trucks were noticed dumping concrete rubble at Survey No 161 along the shore. Obviously at the behest of developers looking for a piece of coveted real estate, they have brought in about 100 trucks to dump rubble in this No-Development Zone.

Residents, concerned for their locality, have held numerous meetings with the local authorities but to no avail. A meeting, attended by officials of the Suburban District Collectorate, residents’ association, D N Nagar police and Dutt, was also convened last week but it is yet to bear fruit. The D N Nagar police have also registered numerous non-cognisable offences against the illegal activity but are yet to take action against a single contractor or builder.

Chairperson of the Save Versova Beach Association, Usha Kiran, told Newsline that the large-scale dumping has completely blocked a section of the mangroves at the south end of the beach, forcing the water to rush towards the Sagar Kutir hutmnets in the north. “Since the debris dumping was unnatural, the water will always find a way somehow. Now our main demand to the authorities is to open up the blockage by removing the debris.

Suburban District Collector Sangeet Rao told Newsline: “I have already written to the police and the BMC to maintain a constant vigil on the beach.” Though the collector’s orders appeared to stem the dumping for a while, he could not provide a deadline for removal of the rubble.

Last week, local MP Sunil Dutt personally visited the beach and publicly expressed shock over the large scale encroachment. “I have decided to provide whatever assistance I can in my capacity as MP to help beautify the beach,” Dutt had told Newsline then. Today, Sagir Kutir residents say they are tired of hollow promises, never mind the fatigue from having to suddenly shift house.

`Beauty before cruelty’ appears to be the lopsided motto of the state government, which while ignoring the illegal reclamation at Versova beach has passed an order for its beautification. The proposal, which had been submitted by the Save Versova Beach Association, has however brought the residents some cheer though they insist that removal of the illegal rubble is a priority.

Collector Sangeet Rao told Newsline that he received the government’s order today. “Since the government has allowed the non-governmental organisation to beautify the beach, we shall offer them assistance in this regard,” he says.

A member of the association, Rahul Barar, points out: “In order to start the beautification drive, the government must first remove the debris and also rehabilitate the hutments that are now slowly encroaching towards the middle of the beach.” He adds: “We shall beautify the beach along the lines of Girgaon Chowpatty, and ensure that there are no hawkers and beggars.”