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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Forest dept inspects Bandra Fort's ‘unauthorised' renovation
MUMBAI: The historic Bandra Fort, also known as Castella de Aguada, has allegedly suffered significant and potentially irreversible damage due to unauthorized repair and renovation work carried out within the sensitive Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ-IA), according to a complaint filed by Watchdog Foundation, an NGO. Concerned citizens and heritage conservationists have been raising the alarm over violations that have allegedly compromised the structural and historical integrity of this 17th-century landmark. Following up on the complaint, the forest guard in Versova carried out a panchnama of the Grade I heritage structure and visited the site on Friday to inspect for CRZ violations. Concerned citizens alleged that the renovation work being carried out at the Bandra Fort is turning out to be detrimental to its structural and historical integrity. Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, who was present at the site, told HT that the fort's walls were plastered with cement and paint instead of basalt stone, marring the heritage look. 'This complaint was made four months back but a site visit was done by the forest department and Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee today (Friday) to inspect the CRZ violations.' Built by the Portuguese in 1640, this iconic watchtower, overlooking Mahim Bay, once served as a strategic outpost for Portuguese naval operations. It has since become a symbol of Mumbai's colonial history and cultural richness. A previous conservation initiative was spearheaded in 2003 by the Bandra Bandstand Residents' Trust under the leadership of former member of parliament Shabana Azmi. It successfully stabilized the structure and prevented further erosion-related damage. That project followed internationally accepted conservation principles and aimed to preserve the fort's authenticity. However, recent unauthorized renovations have undermined those efforts, said Pimenta. 'Walls have been plastered and sections of the structure repaired using methods deemed inappropriate for a Grade I heritage site. According to heritage regulations, no work – whether development, redevelopment, or even cosmetic repairs like plastering or painting – can be undertaken on such protected sites without explicit, written approval from relevant authorities, including the Mumbai Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the Heritage Conservation Committee, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the BMC,' added Pimenta. According to Pimenta, the unauthorised renovation work, including plastering and structural modifications, has altered the original character and materials of the fort, compromising its authenticity. He alleged standard conservation protocols were ignored, resulting in the loss of significant architectural features that form the fort's historic identity. 'Such violations not only constitute a breach of legal protections but also represent a grave cultural and civic failure. Experts warn that if such practices continue unchecked, Mumbai risks losing other irreplaceable heritage landmarks to similar negligence.' The forest guard in Borivali told HT that while prima facie there were no violations and a detailed report on the visit will be submitted next week.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Eight yrs after inception, 7,310 plaints in MahaRERA backlog
Eight years after its formation in 2017,the state's real estate regulator, MahaRera, is still grappling with a significant backlog of unresolved complaints. Of 29,374 complaints filed so far, 7,310 remain pending, prompting calls from homebuyers, legal experts, and activists for faster redressal and stricter enforcement of orders. Although MahaRera has resolved 21,888 cases and holds online and offline hearings, the increasing number of unresolved cases has alarmed consumer groups. They stressed the need for appointment of more adjudicating officers and setting up of regional benches to manage the growing caseload. MahaRera has registered over 50,000 real estate projects — the highest among state regulators — with nearly 50% of them located in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune. However, stakeholders argued that this operational scale has not been matched by adequate capacity to address consumer grievances. Currently, MahaRera has one chairperson, two members, and three adjudicating officers. Activist Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation pointed out that this limited setup cannot cope with the volume of complaints. "Some complaints take two to three years, and in exceptional cases, up to five years to be resolved — despite the law requiring them to be addressed within six months. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo To effectively clear the growing backlog, there is an urgent need to increase the number of MahaRera members," he said. Shirish Deshpande, chairman of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, added that section 20 of Real Estate Regulatory Authority Act gives the state full freedom to appoint more MahaRera chairpersons and establish additional benches. "It's been eight years since MahaRera was established, and yet we are witnessing an alarming backlog of cases, which is deeply disappointing for those who once supported its creation," he said. He explained that complaints typically fall into two categories: "First, is when homebuyers are seeking exit from the project and demanding refund with interest due to delay in getting possession. Second, is when homebuyers want to continue with the project despite delays but want interest on the amount they have paid as per section 18 of the Act. In both these cases, it should not take long for the authority to pass orders, since the interest rate is already prescribed in the Rera rules. Such matters can be disposed of expeditiously..." Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
BMC floats ₹2,368-crore tender to clear Deonar landfill waste amid public scrutiny
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday issued a massive ₹2,368-crore tender for the remediation of legacy waste piled up to the equivalent of 12 storeys at the Deonar dumping ground, infamously referred to as Mount Garbage. Touted as one of the largest tenders in recent years for solid waste management, the initiative aims to address decades of accumulated waste at one of the city's oldest dumping grounds. The proposed project involves the bioremediation of 18.5 million tonnes of legacy waste and the disposal of excavated, processed, and segregated materials. According to the BMC, this will result in the reclamation of approximately 110 hectares (~272 acres) of land at the Deonar site. The contract is set for a three-year period, inclusive of mobilisation and the monsoon season. Work is slated to begin upon the issuance of a letter of acceptance or a service order, whichever comes first. The BMC's move assumes significance considering the Deonar dumping ground is slated to play a significant role in the redevelopment of Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums. In October 2024, the Maharashtra cabinet approved the transfer of 124 acres of the 311-acre Deonar landfill to the Adani Group-led Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) for constructing rental homes for residents deemed ineligible for free housing within Dharavi. The decision sparked controversy due to environmental and health concerns, as the site remains an active landfill that emits toxic gases. Activists and civil society groups have raised red flags about the BMC tender's timing and financial implications, despite the environmental promise of bioremediation. The Watchdog Foundation, an NGO, has openly criticised the move, citing concerns over the use of public funds to subsidise a private redevelopment project. 'While we acknowledge that bioremediation is an environmentally friendly process, we are perplexed by the timing and financial implications of this tender,' said advocate Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation. 'If a significant portion of the Deonar dumping ground has already been allotted to a private entity, why is the BMC spending ₹2,368 crore of taxpayers' money on its bioremediation?' he added. The foundation has called for the immediate suspension of the tender, urging a comprehensive review of the project and an independent inquiry into the decision-making process. 'We believe that transparency and accountability are paramount, especially when significant public funds are involved,' said Pimenta. 'The citizens of Mumbai deserve clarity on how their money is being utilised, and whether such expenditures serve the public interest.' Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner (solid waste management), defended the BMC's move, saying there is a significant amount of legacy waste at the Mulund and Deonar dumping grounds that needs to be removed. 'Mulund alone has around 60 lakh (6 million) tonnes of waste, while Deonar holds nearly 2 crore (20 million) tonnes, piled up to the equivalent of 12 storeys and spread over approximately 110 hectares. Regardless of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, we are obligated to remove this legacy waste,' said Dighavkar. 'Work at the Mulund dumping ground has been ongoing for six years, and we expect to reclaim nearly 60 acres of land there. Now, the focus has shifted to Deonar, where biomining operations are underway. In the meantime, the DRP has progressed, and the state government has requested that the land originally allotted to us in the 1930s be returned in its current condition. It is our responsibility to clean the site and hand it back, in line with the state government's directives,' he added.
