After a tough fight the residents of Mahul near Chembur in Mumbai emerge victorious with the Bombay High Court’s verdict in their favour.
The High Court, on Monday, 23 September, pronounced its final verdict on the 15,000 families who were being displaced to Mumbai’s Mahul after their "unauthorised" houses near the Tansa pipeline were ordered to be demolished by the high court. The air and water in Mahul is toxic due to heavy industrialisation in the region.
The court’s order states:
- The order has directed the Maharashtra Government to stop any further rehabilitation ‘as a consequence of slum clearance’ to the colonies in Mahul.
- It has directed the government to provide alternate accommodation to families currently living there.
- Till an alternative is found, the government has to pay rent of ₹15,000 & security deposit of ₹45,000 to the families.
The order needs to be complied by the government within 12 weeks from today, 23 September.
One of the petitioners, Bilal Khan who spearheaded the movement, took to Twitter to share the verdict and express his gratitude.
The Backdrop
The Bombay HC on 19 September came down heavily on the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), saying it cannot treat project-affected people as "guinea pigs" and make them stay in heavily polluted suburban Mahul on the assurance that air quality in the area may improve in the coming years.
The bench had noted that the pollution situation has not improved in Mahul since 2015.
The HC had, while directing for the demolition, said encroachments on the Tansa water pipeline posed a risk to the lives of lakhs of residents if any untoward incident were to occur.
The BMC had shifted the displaced people to a housing colony in Mahul, a polluted area that is home to refineries and chemical units.
However, several families refused to move to Mahul, claiming that the air quality there was very poor and posed health risks.
The applications being heard by the bench were filed by such families. The court had then asked the BMC to provide alternate accommodation to those persons or pay them rent so that they can themselves find a place to stay.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had, in December 2015, noted that the air pollution in Mahul was severe. It had then directed for a study to be carried out periodically and suggested putting in place a comprehensive plan to improve the air quality in the area.
Around 200 of the 15,000 affected families have shifted to Mahul so far.
(With inputs from PTI)
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