Encroachers removed from near airport site

PANVEL: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), on Tuesday, started demolishing encroachments in the area where it has started pre-development work for the airport. According to sources, it is facing strong opposition from the locals.

Cidco has started development work near the airport, wherein some unauthorised encroachments have come up in the rehabilitation and relief (R&R) pockets. This is hampering development work near the airport area.

SJ Gosavi, controller of unauthorised constructions, Cidco, said, “Our joint managing director V Radha has taken up a lot of efforts to negotiate the matter with the project-affected people (PAP) and also contractors working in the airport area.

“A number of meetings took place with the concerned officers to start the work immediately. The joint MD also visited the sites and issued suitable directives on the spot to take up the demolition,” said Gosavi.

According to Gosavi, “That’s why the CUC department took up the demolition drive on May 10 in the Wadghar area of Panvel. We demolished a cement article factory along with the office. Eight brick kilns were removed from R & R pocket number 1 and 2. A temporary canteen was also removed.”

When CUC team reached the second pocket of R& R, it was observed that three chawls were occupied by tenants. They strongly opposed the demolition of chawls, said Gosavi.

Numbering around 300, the residents and local leaders demanded their compensation under airport rehabilitation.

Gosavi said, “Cidco has already surveyed the said area, but the compensation of plot is awaited. Owing to this, we did not take up the demolition of the chawls.”

Gosavi said that during the drive, the locals stopped the work of the R& R pocket contractor. They got into a scuffle with the engineer and labourers of the contractor.

Additional police force had to be rushed to the area with top police officials intervening to bring peace.

The demolition drive led by SJ Gosavi, CUC, included SR Rathod, ACUC, RS Chavan, assistant designated officer and other officers who carried out the demolition drive amid strong opposition.