Construction material on Dadar beach has been cleared following a mid-day report accompanied by photographs, which highlighted the complaints of residents concerned about the encroachment of the stretch.

A contractor had been using the beach for material storage and processing. After the clearance, the spot has become accessible to all. It is disappointing, though, that Dadar residents’ complaints had not led to action, and it had to take a report in this newspaper to spur those responsible into taking action. It is also telling that locals live in a state of constant worry and fear about open spaces being usurped or rendered inaccessible somehow or other. While citizen activism is welcome, it is a reflection on our system — and a not very good one —  that people have to constantly be alert and alive to these encroaching attempts. It is even more unfortunate that after raising red flags, nothing changed till the fourth pillar of democracy brought the problem into the spotlight.