Mumbai: Aarey CEO’s office razes illegal turf club at picnic garden

Officials monitor the structure being removed

The Aarey Chief Executive Officer's (CEO) office has taken action against an illegal turf recently laid at the renowned picnic garden of the Aarey Milk Colony.

An official from the Aarey CEO's office said, "We have removed the unauthorised turf that was placed inside the picnic point garden at Aarey milk settlement as it did not have permission from our office. Aside from the turf, the illegal concretisation work done in the picnic garden has also been removed."

It is also claimed that the turf club did not obtain approval from the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), monitoring committee, as the region falls under ESZ. According to sources, the demolition directives were given to Aarey's CEO's office by Tukaram Mundhe (IAS), secretary of the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Department.

Ever since Mundhe became the secretary of the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Department, the Aarey CEO office has been consistently taking action against illegal structures in the Aarey Milk Colony. Tukaram Mundhe who is also known as a no-nonsense and straightforward officer, has also been doing surprise visits at Aarey Milk Colony.

Activist Tabrez Ali who has been fighting to save Aarey, welcomed the move and said, "It is good to see that Aarey's CEO Office has taken action against the illegal turf that was constructed inside the picnic point. We hope they continue their action against the illegal structures and encroachments because the need of the hour is to protect every inch of the Aarey Milk Colony."