mid-day has been reporting since February 2024 how residents had started a citizen movement terming it ‘Lok Chalwal’ to reserve the old Kurla government milk dairy land for a garden and recreation ground to maintain greenery and have an open space in the area.

Residents protest against the survey of the Mother Dairy land in Kurla for the Dharavi redevelopment project on July 26. Pic/Aditi Haralkar

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“To date, residents have been patient, but it is clear that the government is ignoring the demands. Any development on Mother Dairy’s land will cause congestion in our area, destroy green space, and further strain our already overburdened infrastructure. Recently, we conducted a survey among locals and residents strongly expressed their opinion that the government should take the steps on or before August 15, 2024,” an activist of Lok Chalwal said.

“We have been striving since December 2023 to reserve Mother Dairy’s plot for a public park. We know that since 2020 you have also been trying with the government for this purpose, but unfortunately, no desired results have been achieved to date. On the contrary, a Government Resolution was issued for the Dharavi Rehabilitation Project on June 10, just four days after the code of conduct was terminated. This decision is a clear indication of the government’s disregard for the long-term demands of all of us. Despite our objections, the government on July 18 issued a fresh order for the land survey, ignoring all our demands,” a letter issued in the name of Lok Chalwal, handed over to the local MLA Mangesh Kudalkar read.

“We demand that the plot of Mother Dairy given to the Dharavi project be permanently cancelled and the plot reserved for a public park. All of us residents will not wait any longer after August 15. Residents are ready to take to the streets in large numbers to protest this ignorance and the government’s favouritism towards a certain capitalist in the name of rehabilitating the poor,” the letter, a copy of which is with mid-day stated.

“We request you to urgently raise this matter with the chief minister and other ministers to resolve the above issues permanently on or before August 15. We trust that you will use all the strength of your party to resolve this issue and get the public park that the local residents deserve. However, if the government does not accept the demands, we expect you to participate with all your might in our next steps,” the letter appealed.

Kudalkar said he had been trying to get a botanical garden built on the plot and had earlier met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde about it who was positive about the issue followed by meetings with Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil to apprise him about the issue.