Flat-owners protest after builder bulldozes eight-storey tall hillock full of lush green trees and birds that was touted as the USP of the project in Chandivli
Flat-owners protest after builder bulldozes eight-storey tall hillock full of lush green trees and birds that was touted as the USP of the project in Chandivli
Manoj Nair (39) can't come to terms with the gradual levelling of a eight-storeyed-high hillock opposite his building in Nahar Amritshakti, Chandivli, a complex comprising 12 buildings of 14 storeys each.
Nair, like others in his building, bought a 2BHK flat in the building in 2007 after he was assured by the builder that the hillock, which is spread over approximately 45,000 square feet, and is home to many species of trees, birds and insects, would not be touched because it was earmarked as a no-development zone.
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"After the trees were chopped, the birds whose chirping woke us up every morning disappeared, and the hillock has shrunk in size.
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Hill Gaya: Manoj Nair stands in his balcony in Nahar Amritshakti, Chandivli, while bulldozers run through the hillock |
I feel cheated by the builder. The hillock and the trees were touted as the USP of the project, and now, within a week, a major portion of the hillock has been bulldozed in front of our eyes.
We are planning to lodge a complaint against the builder with the police," said Nair.
Sharad Pawar, local corporator, said that despite his complaint about the damage to the hillock to the Collector of Suburban Mumbai, Vishwasrao Patil, no action has been taken so far.
"In the last one month, we received complaints about illegal quarrying in various areas and have even seized bulldozers and other quarrying equipment. We will act against the bulldozing in the area you tell us about.
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I don't recall granting permission for excavation of any hillock to any builder in Chandivli," said Patil.
The Other SideSukhraj Nahar, chairperson and founder of Nahar Group, agreed that he did not seek permission from the Collector's office before clearing portions of the hill.
"Stones fall from the mountain. I am merely taking precautions so no one gets hurt. I don't think I need the Collector's permission for this.
The allegation that the area in which the hillock stands is categorised as a no development zone is false," said Nahar.
12
The number of deaths following a landslide in a hillock on September 4 at Shastri Nagar slums in Sakinaka, about 2 to 3 kilometers from the Nahar Amritshakti complex in Chandivli
