BMC begins demolishing 100 illegal shrines

MUMBAI: More than 100 illegal shrines in the city have come under the scanner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Council (BMC), which has begun demolishing these structures after a complaint from an NGO.

"We have begun demolishing these structures from yesterday. Some of them have been demolished earlier in accordance with the High Court order but have sprung up again. Also some had not been demolished in the first place. We expect to finish these before the end of this week," Deputy Municipal Commissioner Vijay Kadam said here.

On a complaint made by 'Janhit Manch', a non-government organisation, alleging that more than 600 illegal shrines had come up in violation of rules, the civic body had carried out a survey recently which revealed that about 100 shrines had been illegally built, BMC officials said.

Kadam said he did not expect any trouble as these were makeshift structures which were built on roadsides. "The municipal commissioner has given strict orders that the demolitions should be completed within a week. Accordingly we have started since yesterday."

In 2003, on a Bombay High Court directive, the civic body had undertaken a massive drive to demolish several illegal shrines.

Within three years, the illegal shrines have resurfaced in the city in violation of rules and the civic body has decided to demolish them in keeping with the earlier order of the High Court, the officials said.