Revenue min promises action against debris dumping in dept-owned green areas

BJP MLC Darekar demanded action against the encroachments in Ganpat Patil Nagar and dumping of illegal debris by builders along creek shores. “Revenue department lands are being illegally occupied, and officials have turned a blind eye,” he said. “What action is going to be taken?”

MUMBAI: Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said that Mumbai suburban collector Saurabh Katiyar would visit Ganpat Patil Nagar at Borivali and submit a report on it. The sprawling slum area is located in a vast stretch of mangroves that has been systematically encroached over the last few years by a mafia.

The district collector will visit Ganpat Patil Nagar within three days to take action, besides which a task force would be set up to address builders’ encroachments along Mumbai’s creek shores. (Hindustan Times)

The issue of illegal dumping in environmentally sensitive areas was raised in the legislative council by MLCs Anil Parab, Pravin Darekar, Satej Patil and Manisha Kayande. BJP MLC Darekar demanded action against the encroachments in Ganpat Patil Nagar and dumping of illegal debris by builders along creek shores. “Revenue department lands are being illegally occupied, and officials have turned a blind eye,” he said. “What action is going to be taken?”

To this, Bawankule replied that the district collector would visit Ganpat Patil Nagar within three days to take action, besides which a task force would be set up to address builders’ encroachments along Mumbai’s creek shores. The revenue minister has asked Konkan divisional commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi and Mumbai city collector Aanchal Goyal to initiate an immediate inquiry.

When the issue of dumping debris in the Ulhas and Waldhuni riverbeds in Thane district was raised, Bawankule replied that a certain satsang organisation had excavated soil from 10 hectares of land and illegally dumped it in the riverbeds, posing a flood risk. Following a visit by local corporators and the Mahendra Kalyankar committee on June 25, 2025, a case was filed, and three excavators were seized. “A fine of ₹10,16,17,141 has been imposed, to be recovered within one month, failing which strict action will follow,” the minister asserted. The government has also announced a criminal case against the organisation.

Congress MLC Satej Patil raised concerns about the responsibility for red line and blue line demarcation and asked, “Why hasn’t the water resources department surveyed the state’s 100 rivers and 5,000 to 6,000 km of riverbeds? What is the policy to curb encroachments?” Addressing this, Bawankule confirmed that to address all violations, red and blue line surveys for the state’s rivers and riverbeds would be conducted by the water resources and revenue departments, prioritising compliance with National Green Tribunal orders.