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PMC court stays Ambil odha anti-encroachment drive; residents clash with police
Drive is targeting illegal constructions and obstructions on the banks of stream as well as on the water itself
A Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) court, on Thursday, stayed the civic body’s anti-encroachment on the banks and in the vicinity of Ambil odha (stream).
A Pune citizen Hanumant Phadke challenged the PMC’s drive in the court, located in the municipal corporation’s headquarters at Shivanjinagar and managed to get a stay order issued.
This came as the PMC’s anti-encroachment drive was about to begin in the Ambil odha area, near Dandekar bridge, under police protection. The drive is targeting illegal constructions and obstructions on the banks of the stream as well as on the water bed itself.
Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said, “It is necessary to remove encroachments on nallahs, but the administration acted in a hurry. They should have given residents some more time to make necessary arrangements. The drive needs to be carried out before, or after, the monsoon season.”
Many homes and shanties are in the flood line and the PMC had issued notices to residents asking them to vacate the illegal premises.
On Thursday morning, there was much tension in the area as residents clashed verbally with PMC officials and the police.
Residents alleged that the police was using force to keep them away from their homes and some even claimed that they had not received the PMC notices.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties in the city blamed the ruling BJP for the chaos.
Congress leader Arvind Shinde and the NCP’s Nitin Kadam claimed that the PMC was looking to develp the Ambil odha area under a slum rehabilitation area (SRA) scheme. “The administration was going to conduct the anti-encroadhment drive at the very spot discussed in the PMC meeting,” Shinde alleged.
The Aam Adami Party’s (AAP) Mukund Kirdat also opposed the drive. He said, “The corporation carried out the drive during rainy season which is wrong.”
Municipal administration officials decline a comment officially, but of the record administration officials were quoted as saying, “Houses are in the water body. If there is heavy rain, same political parties will blame the administration for not removing the encroachments.”
