Uttan Coast’s tourism potential is being suppressed by the illegal construction and waste management crisis

Mira-Bhayandar: The row over the proposed slaughterhouse in Uttan has once again drawn attention to the motherly treatment meted out to the villagers living in the coastal area, which has already fallen prey to haphazard development due to the rather unusual increase in illegal construction activities for in recent years.

The misery has been compounded by recurring fires that lead to choking smoke and an unbearable stench emanating from the mountains of waste at the landfill and solid waste processing plant on the hills of Dhavgi village.

Coastal Uttan area in Mira-Bhayandar faces neglect due to illegal construction and waste crisis | File photo

It is to be noted that the Maharashtra Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had been appointed as the Special Planning Authority (SPA) for villages like Gorai, Manori, Uttan, Dongri, Tarodi, Chowk and parts of Morva, which are mainly inhabited by East Indians.

The villages are notified areas that fall under the Recreation and Tourism Development Zone (RTDZ). While Uttan-Chowk-Tarodi and Morva (covering an area of ​​23.61 sq km) fall under the jurisdiction of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), Gorai and Manori fall under the jurisdiction of their Mumbai counterparts.

However, the coastal stretch of the twin city, which is blessed with about five kilometers of waterfront, remains largely neglected even as the illegal construction activities of the infamous chawl mafia and fly-by-night builders have brazenly exposed hillsides and destroyed greenery to allow unbridled construction activities. and unplanned development in the region.

“From landfill and waste processing plant to dog sterilization center and now slaughterhouse, the government has taken Uttan for granted while the villagers have to suffer.” said fishing community leader Bernard D’mello.

“Blessed by nature, Uttan and the surrounding coastal areas have great potential for the development of beach tourism, which will also generate employment. The government should seriously consider giving the beaches a facelift, beautifying the picturesque coastal strip and restoring places of historical interest.” said local hotelier Santosh Puthran.

Currently, the pristine beaches suffer from sanitary and hygienic problems. The region is home to more than 750 fishing boats and many of the more than 50,000 residents who live in the quaint villages depend largely on fishing as a source of livelihood.