Navi Mumbai: Residents of Enkay Heritage Cooperative Housing Society in Panvel, Navi Mumbai, formed a human chain on Sunday morning (28^th July) to silently protest against a planned liquor shop in their building.

Around 300 residents, including women, children, and elders, participated in the protest, holding placards with slogans like "Say No to Liquor Shop." The liquor shop is being relocated to their society from another building under redevelopment.

Society general secretary Naresh Gaikwad stated that the residents oppose the liquor shop because it would create a nuisance, particularly since it is located near the main entrance. "Many drunkards in the area already create trouble after consuming liquor from nearby bars and shops," said a housewife from the society. "We do not want this menace spreading to our compound."

Activist B N Kumar, convenor of Alert Citizens Team, has written to the Chief Minister, seeking the State Government's intervention to maintain peace and harmony in the area. He emphasized that the residents' concerns are genuine and urged the CM to instruct the Raigad district collector and the excise department not to grant permission for the liquor shop in Enkay Heritage.

Advocate Jaysing Jagannath Shere, representing the society, highlighted that the shop is only 19 metres from the compound wall of the famous Sai Baba temple in Panvel and 140 metres from the main temple. According to regulations, liquor shops and bars are prohibited within 150 metres of a temple or educational institution. Furthermore, the state highway is less than 450 metres away from the shop, and liquor shops are banned within 500 metres of a highway or its service lane. Shere cited a Supreme Court ruling to support his argument.