Mumbai, Nov 9 (UNI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray raised an alarm on Sunday over the presence of a drone observed operating near his residential premises here.
Through a social media post on X, Thackeray expressed apprehension about the implications of the incident.
According to Thackeray’s account, the drone was engaged in what he described as “peeping” into his family’s private residence in the early morning hours, causing much anxiety among household members.
When media outlets began investigating the matter, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority explained that the aerial vehicle was conducting a survey operation spanning the Bandra Kurla Complex area and maintained that it had been permitted by the Mumbai Police.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader subsequently posed a series of searching questions to both the civic administration and police authorities. Thackeray demanded clarity regarding the nature of the survey that would necessitate a drone to hover over residential properties and then rapidly depart upon detection. He emphasised that residents in the locality had received no prior intimation regarding the survey.
Thackeray further criticised the MMRDA, asserting that the organisation was focussing on inconsequential matters whilst neglecting substantive issues requiring attention. He pointed to the much touted Atal Setu project, a proposed sea bridge to connect Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, also referred to as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), characterising it as an example of administrative mismanagement. He accused the MMRDA of functioning in a deceptive way that lacked transparency.
Aditya Thackeray also asked why the residents were not notified about the survey despite the police authorisation for the drone operation. His social media communication contained tags directed at both the MMRDA and the Mumbai Police seeking their responses.
The incident has sparked a broader debate concerning the degree of transparency and protection of private spaces in official survey undertakings, particularly those conducted in areas designated for residential purposes. Neither the Mumbai Police nor the MMRDA have provided a comprehensive clarification beyond their confirmation that the unmanned aircraft constituted an element of an officially sanctioned survey within the Bandra Kurla Complex locality, designated as a financial and business district in north west Mumbai.
