Belapur residents to hold silent human chain on Sunday against loud blasts

NAVI MUMBAI: Residents of CBD Belapur along with environmentalists have planned a ‘silent human chain’ on Sunday morning to protest against ‘earthquake-type tremors’ due to high-intensity blasts being carried out for the construction of the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) site

NAVI MUMBAI: Residents of CBD Belapur along with environmentalists have planned a ‘silent human chain’ on Sunday morning to protest against ‘earthquake-type tremors’ due to high-intensity blasts being carried out for the construction of the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) site.

Belapur residents to hold silent human chain on Sunday against loud blasts

“The human chain will be formed along the walking track at Sector 15, CBD-Belapur,” confirmed Rohit Agarwal, secretary of Arenja CHS said.

“This will be a peaceful and silent protest and participants will not raise any slogans as our silence will have to be heard louder by the unconcerned authorities,” said NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar, who added, “The blasts are being heard during late nights and even in the early hours of the day. The intensity is such that residents in Sanpada can hear it too.”

Apart from Arenja, several housing complexes such as Sai Vihar, and Belle Vista also reported disturbing sounds with the high-intense blasts at the airport under construction, Kumar said.

“We have been complaining to several people including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the CM,” said C D Gupta from Belle Vista CHS.

“The protest will show our solidarity and draw the attention of authorities to the fact that several buildings in the area have developed cracks and window panes have shattered every time there is a big blast,” said Shubhangi Tirodkar who stays at Sector 15.

Suryakant Pandey of Sai Vihar CHS said the blasts have caused cracks in his building as well. The frequency of blasts is also quite disturbing, he said.

Agarwal and Gupta, who announced the human chain plans during the Republic Day events in their respective housing societies said the response is instantaneous and “we expect large numbers to join in”.

Former corporator Netra Shirke empathised with the residents and said the airport ought to reduce the intensity of the blasts and not cause any harm to either the buildings or the people living in them.

Meanwhile, the CMO responded to NatConnect complaints about the high-intense blasts and asked the Urban Development Department as well to check the matter. A mail has gone to UD-1 principal secretary Bhushan Gagrani, Kumar said quoting the response under the CM’s name. The CM had earlier asked state aviation secretary Valsa Nair Singh to look into the complaints.

CIDCO and NMIAL have refused to comment on the complaint stating that they are incorrect.