Mumbai: Bangur Nagar residents vow to boycott elections

A banquet hall being illegaly set up on an area reserved for a playground and an open space in Goregaon West

As Mumbai's election day draws near, members of the Bangur Nagar Residents Association in Goregaon West have announced plans to boycott the polls, citing concerns over the encroachment of an open space in their area that have not been addressed by any political party. The area falls under the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency. Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate Amol Kirtikar is up against Ravindra Waikar, the Shinde Sena candidate who recently switched allegiances to the Eknath Shinde faction.

Activist and filmmaker Ashoke Pandit alleged, "The residents of the buildings in Bangur Nagar are protesting against the illegal structures, encroachments, illegal banquet hall/turf club that have come up on an area reserved for a playground and an open space, as per the DP. The residents have been fighting this battle for 10 years but no politicians/political parties or public representatives have come to their aid. There have been promises and talks but the open space has been snatched away. As the public representatives have failed to help, the residents association has passed a resolution not to vote if the illegal encroachments are not demolished or cleared before the elections. The call by the residents is genuine and I hope the authorities concerned in the BMC take necessary action against these illegal structures."

The turf club that has come up illegally

The Bangur Nagar Residents Association said in a statement that the residents of the area, comprising 54 housing societies and around 20,000 citizens, have been fighting to save the open space and public playground as per DP-2034. The residents have alleged that they have been facing a nuisance due to noise pollution, illegal encroachment and illegal parking etc despite several complaints to the departments concerned.

Space outside the turf club used to park illegally

"Despite several complaints to local representatives and authorities, no action has been taken. It is also observed that mangroves have been destroyed/killed by the landowner and subsequently, the land has been illegally reclaimed to conduct commercial activities, thereby causing great loss to the environment and revenue loss to the government. We residents of Bangur Nagar feel that we have been let down by our local representatives like MLA, MP, and corporator in saving these open spaces and failing to provide basic public amenities like a public garden and playground for the benefit of citizens in the area. We have been let down several times by these local representatives, but our fight will continue till the open spaces are restored as per the original BMC's DP-2034," the statement reads.

20,000
Approx no of residents in area