Mumbai: In a good development forgreen activists, the BMC R-central and R-north wards have demolished illegal wedding banquet halls which had come up over destroyed mangroves in CRZ at Eksar village in Borivali (west).Welcoming this fresh move, activist Reji Abraham of United Association for Social, Educational and Public Welfare Trust, said: “We are happy that the BMC has started demolishing theillegal wedding hallson over half-acre area which is actually CRZ and no-development zone.Our group had been complaining for the past two years to remove such structures .”Earlier in March this year, following a TOI report on the encroachment of CRZ at Eksar village, the civic body had demolished an illegal Go-karting track which had been constructed over the mangroves.The illegal wedding halls could not be demolished in March because their owners had got a stay from the local court.This stay was recently vacated, which led to the demolition.A forest official informed that since the mangroves at Eksar village are not ‘notified’, they were easily destroyed and encroached upon.”Special thanks to new zonal DMC Sanjay Kurhade for ensuring needful action (demolition) despite pressures from opposing lobbies supported by politicians,” said Abraham. There was adequate police protection at the time of the demolition. —Vijay Singh 
