Mumbai, June 20: Four illegally constructed Mandirs on the Thane-Belapur Road were demolished by the anti-encroachment department of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) on Friday.
These structures were located in Pawane, Turbhe, Mahape and Ghansoli. “These religious places were illegal and were close to the highway therefore increasing the chances of an accident. Considering this we shifted the deities to Koparkhairane store room after performing the necessary rituals. Thereafter, the illegal construction was demolished,” informed an official on condition of anonymity.
The deities will be returned to the institutions if they approach the corporation and assure about the new authorized place where they plan to shift the deity. “The institutes will have to file an affidavit mentioning the place where they plan to take the idols.
After, we are satisfied with their re-installation plans we will handover the idols to them,” added the official. The corporation carried on the demolition under police protection. “Demolition of illegally constructed religious places involves a lot of sentiments. We face resistance lot of time but if the holy places are constructed on encroached land then we have to take action especially, if it’s dangerous to people’s life as it was in this case, the temple premises were close to the highway and was causing trouble to the local commuters,” said the official.
–Agencies