The Brave Pedestrian

  Shrikant Somaiyaji and David Talegaonkar were among the first to come to live in Persiana, Lodha Casa Rio, back in 2015-16. In this interview, they recollect how they felt when their dreams of having a balcony view of a spacious cricket stadium fell apart, and they found their balconies facing a smelly sewage treatment plant (STP). Shrikant and David, who are now secretary and chairman of Persiana CHS, have filed a writ petition in Bombay High Court demanding the removal and relocation of the STP, which has evidently been built without proper permissions from MMRDA and KDMC (Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation). ISSUED IN PUBLIC INTEREST BY Krishnaraj Rao 9821588114 and 8169471229 krish.kkphoto@gmail.com

Many flat buyers of Persiana housing society of Lodha Casa Rio paid a premium for flats that the builder promised would be directly facing a cricket stadium. What Persiana residents got instead was a smelly, sewage treatment plant (STP) right in its front yard. Lodha builders claimed that a change of plans forced them to plonk the massive STP (which recycles the drainage water of the entire Casa Rio complex consisting of roughly 150 buildings) right in front of Persiana. Did Lodha apologize to these flat buyers and offer to take back their flats and refund their money? No. Far from it. Lodha builder continues to abuse his dominant position here in Persiana, as he does everywhere else. He dictates terms to them in all aspects of their lives, including who they hire as their service providers. Flat buyers are expected to be submissive and accept whatever is dished out to them. A small number of flat buyers, however, are not taking things lying down. They have decided to fight for their ...