Mumbai:
With space being precious in Mumbai the land mafia is difficult to ward off but ordinary citizens, and now a Bollywood actor have been working hard to ensure that Mumbai's green conscience is revived.
In 1975, Mumbai had 50 square kilometres of mangroves. By 2010, 50% of this unique eco-system was gone lost to haphazard development, in a city with no green conscience, when it comes to real estate.
In a diabolically systematic manner, Mumbai's mangroves were deliberately destroyed. Thankfully, some conscious citizens tried their best to save the natural barrier. But they were all fighting independently and the movement needed a fillip. It was then that the goodwill of a known face took the battle to the next level.
For Irrfan Khan, this was a first, the year was 2004.
''I saw it happen right before my eyes. We got manhandled by them. Entire nexus of politicians and cops...'', says actor Irrfan Khan.
A battle that went on to become a Public Interest Litigation in the Bombay High Court.
''Human beings think they are alone and not part of this system...'', adds Irrfan Khan.
The outcome of this battle: More people have become aware, the battle against the builder mafia now more intense.