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BMC demolishes film studios in Mumbai's Madh-Marve area after NGT order | VIDEO
The demolition of five film studios in Madh-Marve started on Friday after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed an order deeming them illegal.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday started demolishing film studios in the Madh-Marve area of Mumbai after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed an order deeming them illegal. These studios had misused permissions and built permanent structures instead of temporary ones.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who is the whistle-blower in the case, hit out at BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal claiming he knew the structures were illegal but didn't take any action. He alleged that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government under Uddhav Thackeray had given illegal permission in name of temporary structures.
“We approached the court which questioned BMC on how illegal constructions were allowed. I requested the chief minister and deputy chief minister to order a probe into this,” Kirit Somaiya told reporters.
The NGT in its order stated they found the permission was only for setting up a temporary structure for the purpose in question. However, the film studios had set up huge structures in which a lot of steel and concrete material was used.
“In our assessment, such structures cannot be held to be of temporary nature by their size and the material used but the studios claimed that these structures were prepared using eco-friendly material, therefore, and they should be treated to be of temporary nature. We are not in agreement with this argument and find that these kinds of structures show violation of the grant of temporary permission,” stated the order by NGT.
“In this case, there is blatant violation because they did not remove the structures in question before moving further application for granting temporary permission for raising construction.”
The order concluded: “It had been stated that the BMC circular dated March 1, 2019, under which the film studios were granted permission for raising temporary structures for the purpose in question, had already been stayed until further orders by virtue of order dated November 21, 2022 passed by the additional municipal commissioner (city). Therefore, it is evident that no such permission can be granted.”
