Demolition Drive in Mumbai

What is affected
Housing private
Land Social/public
Type of violation Forced eviction
Demolition/destruction
Dispossession/confiscation
Privatization of public goods and services
Date 21 May 2009
Region A [ Asia ]
Country India
Location Airoli, Rabale

Affected persons

Total 2154
Men 0
Women 0
Children 0
Proposed solution
Details
Development
Forced eviction
Costs
Demolition/destruction
Housing losses
- Number of homes 2154
- Total value €
Privatization of public goods and services
Land Losses
Housing Losses
Water
Sanitation
Energy
Other

Duty holder(s) /responsible party(ies)

State
City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO)
Brief narrative Article 1 found at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Cidco-starts-demolition-drive-in-Airoli-Rabale/articleshow/4562265.cms (Times of India)

CIDCO STARTS DEMOLITION DRIVE IN AIROLI, RABALE
22 May 2009, 0301 hrs IST, Vijay Singh, TNN

NAVI MUMBAI: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) of Maharashtra Limited started its two-day demolition drive on its lands at Rabale and Airoli on Thursday when around 400 illegal structures were razed to the ground under police watch.

Around 100 remaining structures will be pulled down on Friday.

Except initial resistance from residents of the houses-mostly one-storied tenements-that were being demolished, the drive went on pretty smoothly as heavy-duty JCB machines razed the structures. However, one machine was partially damaged as angry residents pelted stones at it.

Most of the affected people living in these illegal chawls and tenements complained that though they had been paying proper water charges to Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) as well as electricity bills to MSEB, their houses were targeted. "The demolitions in the Airoli constituency are taken place only after the crucial Lok Sabha elections. Now, where are our netas who, during election campaigns, promised to protect us?`` said a woman even as she tried to salvage her belongings from the debris in the Gothivali region of Rabale.

However, Cidco officials told reporters that proper notices had been served to those residing in illegal structures that had come up on Cidco lands over the past two years.

The assistant commissioner of police, Purshottam Karad, who was present at the drive, said such homes in Airoli Sector 8A and Ghansoli sectors 29A and 30 were also razed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Article 2 found at: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/may/240509-Vikas-Avte-wealth-officer-newlywed-house-demolished-homeless-Mumbai.htm (MidDay, www.mid-day.com)

NEWLY MARRIED LOSES HOME IN DEMOLITION

By Rita Ghose, 24 May 2005

Mumbai--"VIKAS Avte (26), a wealth officer of a financial company located in Andheri (E) was married on May 20 at Kalyan and became homeless in a day`s time. His wife, Poonam (23) working in the Income Tax office now has gone back to her father`s house while Avte is at Airoli waiting for justice right outside his demolished home. "I haven`t even had the chance to talk to my wife. It was an arranged marriage... we did not know that everything would end like this. I am still in my wedding suit and I am going through hell," said Avte.

A neighbour of the groom said, "One doesn`t know if the bride will come back as Vikas has no home."

Avte`s case is just one of the many cases at sector 8 in Airoli. On May 21, 67 buildings and 87 tenements were demolished and on May 22 around 1,500 houses were demolished which were built on City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) land.

"We were given a 10-minute notice that our homes were going to be demolished. The builders knew that our homes were going to be razed but we had no advance notice," said Anand Gamle, whose home was demolished.

Dattatray Datar, senior police inspector, Rabale police station said, "We detained 13 people including 2 males and 11 females for obstructing government work. The case was filed by CIDCO." CIDCO officers were unavailable for comment."
Costs €   0


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