Residents on Mumbai's forest land get relief

Around 67,000 residents of Mumbai, occupying apartments on the forest land, can heave a sigh of relief.

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which was asked by the Supreme Court to look into the residents’ case, has recommended regularisation of their apartments after charging a nominal penalty, said Kirit Somaiya, a former MP and member of the BJP’s national executive committee.

At a recent hearing on the issue, CEC ruled that the residents can be exempted from the state’s Protection of Private Forest Land Act, Somaiya said.

About 3,700 apartments have come up on the forest land in the city’s suburbs of Kanjur Marg, Bhandup, Mulund, Borivali, Kandivali, Dhaisar and the neighbouring Thane district.

In 2005, delivering a judgement on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG), the Bombay High Court had ruled that the state government should act against the encroachment on forest lands according to the provisions of the Protection of Private Forest Land Act. Subsequently, the state government had sent notices to builders, housing societies and factories, which have come up on the forest land, demanding possession of the land.

Somaiya and various associations of residents and builders had filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court in 2006, challenging the notices of the state government and asking the court to quash petitions filed against the residents.

Later, they moved the Supreme Court in this matter. This year, the apex court asked CEC to hear the matter and offer its recommendations.