Activist Prabhu Chauhan's 3-year fight helps restore Kandivli land

The threeyearlong struggle of Kandivli residents has finally yielded them the desired results Land encroached and reclaimed for a landfill and parking will now be vacated and restoredSpread across an area of more than 12000 square feet and worth Rs 12 crore the land that is called a lake in government records city survey was encroached and used for garage dumping and parking purposes Recently the Bombay High Court hearing a Public Interest Litigation PIL filed by a social activist directed the Collector of Mumbai to free the land by June 2019A picture of the city survey report of the land calling it a lakeSocial activist Prabhu Chauhan had in 2016 filed a PIL at the Bombay HC with regard to the land City Survey Number 1172 on Mahatma Gandhi Cross Road No 3 in Kandivli West The land was recorded as a garden plot in its property card and in the Development Plan DP of 1991 and 2034 It has however been illegally converted into a garage and parking space by someone in connivance with public authorities alleged the founder of NGO Voice against Illegal ActivitiesThe land marked in orange is currently being used to park twowheelersAccording to the complainant he had emailed a complaint letter to the Collector of Mumbai Suburban district on March 18 2016 Not having received any response Chauhan wrote to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra in May 2016 but that too failed and so did his letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in August 2016Chauhan then began filing RTI applications with the Tehsildar and Chief Secretary The Chief Secretary replied to him in September 2016 that the issue concerned the Urban Development Department which told the activist that all the old records of the land were destroyed in the Mantralaya fire of 2012 Chauhan was asked to approach the Chief Engineer Development Plan of Municipal Corporation of Greater MumbaiSocial activist Prabhu ChauhanIn his response the Chief Engineer said that the land was reserved for a garden in the revised DP 2034 which is a continuation of the sanctioned DP of 1991 Chauhan then filed a PIL with the Bombay High Court I couldnt digest the fact that an entire lake was converted into a garage and parking space just for someones benefit When authorities turned a blind eye towards this issue I filed the PIL said Chauhan adding After fighting for three years the HC sought information from the department concerned and initiated action on my complaintsHC to the rescueThe high court had summoned all parties concerned to give their replies on the matter on the basis of which the Collectors office filed an affidavit in court confessing that encroachment had indeed happened and promised to remove it before June 2019 We havent received the court order yet I am on election duty so I am not updated about it said Jaish Warghade City Survey officerWe have had to run from pillar to post to get justice in this matter The PIL ultimately got us some relief said advocate Jamshed Ansari who presented the issue before the court Everybody cant afford to go to court to get justice or report lethargy on the part of the authorities We are happy that encroachment will be removed in the next couple of months he addedTimeline of eventsMarch 2016 Chauhan wrote to Mumbai Suburban CollectorMay 2016 Chauhan wrote to Chief Secretary of MaharashtraAugust 2016 Chauhan wrote to Chief Minister Devendra FadnavisSeptember 2016 Chief Secretary replied to RTIOctober 2016 Chauhan filed a PIL at the Bombay HCCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates