Mumbai: The residents of Pestom Sagar and adjoining areas in Chembur have raised their voices against rampant encroachment and illegal activities on the roads leading to the vital bridge connecting Pestom Sagar with Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar. Roads No. 2 and 6 have become hotbeds for unauthorized slums, unlicensed garages, and informal garbage segregation businesses, causing severe disruption to traffic and public safety. The bridge itself, a key connector between these two neighborhoods, has fallen into disrepair, further exacerbating the community’s frustration
Mohini Thackeray, Chairperson of the Pestom Sagar Citizens Forum, has led multiple complaints about the unregulated activities but to no avail. She expressed the growing distrust between law-abiding residents and the authorities, stating, “Innumerable complaints have fallen on deaf ears. This is a law and order issue, and as long as the authorities permit such activities, the legal residents of Pestom Sagar will continue to be suspicious of their intentions and motivations.”
The footpaths along Pestom Sagar Roads 4 and 6 have been rendered unusable due to the encroachment of these businesses, creating additional hazards for pedestrians. Despite repeated complaints to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), including discussions with a guardian minister, no substantial action has been taken to remedy the situation.
Richard Chacko |
Mohini Thackeray, Chairperson, Pestom Sagar Citizens Forum |
Plot |
The bridge, which connects Chembur M West Ward with Ghatkopar N Ward, is essential for pedestrian and vehicular traffic, particularly given that two schools are located near it. However, the structure remains in need of repairs, and the illegal businesses operating in its vicinity have made crossing a perilous endeavor for both students and residents.
Thackeray emphasised that while citizens sympathise with the underprivileged, public order must be maintained, “The government has rolled out many schemes for the underprivileged. The authorities need to help the less privileged secure those privileges instead of leaving them to languish on our roads and footpaths, disrupting the entire neighborhood. This plot could be a garden or a playground for the children of the area, including those from the nearby slums who are currently forced to play on unsafe roads,” Thackeray noted. “We suggested planting a Miyawaki forest here, but we never got a response from the BMC. Are the authorities on the side of law and order, or are they sympathetic to people who are clearly being a nuisance?”
The root of the problem lies in a long-standing land dispute over a large plot of land near the entry point of Pestom Sagar. The land, which has been embroiled in legal battles between a builder and the Salt Commission since 1978, has become a breeding ground for illegal activities.
Concerned Pestom Sagar Citizen Richard Chacko, who has been vocal about the situation, lamented the state of the area, “On the salt pan land in Chembur West, the land mafia is taking over. The case has been dragging since 1978, and all these lands have been left unsecured. Slums are rising, crimes are being committed. What has the government done to secure it? While we middle-class residents have watched our buildings age with no scope for development, the poor are left to build slums and create chaos.”
The court’s inability to resolve the property dispute has not only delayed justice but also created an environment of uncertainty. Chacko added, “Justice delayed is justice denied. Why can’t the court decide whose property this is? The longer this drags on, the worse the encroachment gets.”
According to residents, the land, which was initially promised as a garden space for the public, has now become a hub for unauthorized commercial activities. A seven-foot-high wall was built around the disputed plot on Road No. 4, with assurances that a recreational garden would be developed. However, the land has instead been left empty, fueling suspicions among the community.
The frustration among residents is palpable, as they have seen no tangible progress despite promises from political representatives. Chacko remarked, “What happened to the promises? This disputed property is now being used for private commercial purposes, while citizens of Pestom Sagar are left to deal with the fallout of this negligence.”
The residents of Pestom Sagar are particularly concerned for the safety of schoolchildren and pedestrians, who have no safe space to walk due to the encroachments. The area around Holy Family School has become dangerous, with people living on the footpath and no clear paths for walking.
“The safety of school students and pedestrians is in danger. There is no proper path left to walk,” one concerned parent noted. The presence of these encroachments has not only made the roads unsightly but also hazardous.
The citizens of Pestom Sagar, through their forum, continue to urge the authorities to take swift and decisive action.
