Kurla land for Dharavi: Residents up in arms

Residents of Nehru Nagar in Kurla East have been livid since Thursday morning when they learned that the Maharashtra government has sanctioned rehabilitating Dharavi slum dwellers on the green forested 21acre land of Kurla Milk Dairy which they had been fighting to conserve A series of protests have been planned to counter the moveSince February 2024 midday has been reporting how residents started a citizen movement terming it lsquoLok Chalwalrsquo to reserve the old Kurla government milk dairy land for a garden and recreation ground to maintain greenery and provide an open space in the areaAccording to the report a Government Resolution GR issued on June 10 by the Dairy Development Department highlighted the Dharavi redevelopment project as vital and of public importance The land will be provided at a 25 per cent discount below the ready reckoner rate for rehabilitating Dharavi slum dwellersThe Kurla residents carry out a protest File picldquoEveryone knows from past experiences that government officials and elected representatives make false promises Once citizensrsquo anger subsides they make decisions without considering our opinions We should be aware and not depend on politicians It is very important that we get organised at this critical time to oppose the governments decision and not fall prey to any politics Everyone has experience with the Aarey Car Shedrdquo said Kiran Pailwan one of the local residents who has been spearheading the agitationldquoWe want a garden and only a garden on the Mother Dairy plot We dont want any other project in that place We all have to stand firm and hit the streets in protest All residents young boys girls senior citizens all should join hands and if everyone makes a sincere effort we will surely come out of this crisisrdquo a resident activist Vidya saidAnother resident Umesh Mehendale said ldquoIf there is redevelopment why should the people of Dharavi be shifted elsewhere Admittedly the existing industries businesses factories etc will have to be relocated But why relocate the slum dwellers Who is going to stay in those redeveloped buildings at Dharavi Or will it just be a commercial hubrdquoThe original plan here was to make a miniBKC but now it has been changed for slum rehabilitation The land earlier used by the government milk dairy at Nehru Nagar Kurla has been lying unused after the dairy shut down nearly a decade ago The land is strategically placed sandwiched along the Santacruz Chembur Link Road LTT Kurla Terminus Mumbai Metro Yellow Line 2B and the Harbour Line of the suburban railway networkResidents draw up planBesides meeting local elected representatives residents have worked out strategy meetings and gatherings On Sunday a meeting of workers volunteers board heads various party and society office bearers and residents has been planned to formulate the next strategy to increase citizen pressure on the governmentLocal MP speaksReacting to this newlyelected Member of Parliament Varsha Gaikwad said ldquoThey want to swallow the whole of Mumbai and the BJP government has taken the role of going to any extent for that This is a plan hatched in the name of Dharavi rehabilitation But let me warn you that we shall foil this bidrdquoLocal MLA speaksLocal MLA Mangesh Kudalkar said that he has joined the residentsrsquo protest ldquoI am with the residents in their protest and we shall draw an action plan on how to get this resolved We will not allow Dharavi residents to come here I met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday and have explained the situation to him and handed him a memorandumrdquoCM Shinde has assured Kudalkar that he would take a meeting of the concerned officials before taking any further decision in the matterJune 10Day GR was issued