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Brief narrative |
The Garib Nagar slum cluster sat directly at the intersection of Western Railway property and the BMC’s vast water infrastructure — the vital Tansa water main pipeline. The expanding settlement has historically encroached upon portions of land owned by both authorities. In the early years of the slum’s existence, it regularly faced eviction notices from the Western Railway and the local ward office. Political backing often stalled the evictions. Older residents recall former MP Sunil Dutt resisting mass evictions. Following demolitions, kuccha structures would often reappear and continue to exist until the next eviction drive.
On 26 October 2017, the High Court ordered the removal of encroachments within 10 metres of Mumbai’s main water pipeline. The municipal corporation arrived with a heavy police escort and bulldozers. Hours into the demolition, a massive Level-IV fire broke out, engulfing the entire area. A subsequent police investigation claimed that a resident had initiated the fire to delay the evictions. Following the fire and subsequent court proceedings, a large portion of the land remained under litigation. In 2022, 148 structures were demolished to protect train operations and minimise waste dumping on railway tracks. On 19 May 2026, the High Court’s final order was executed. Led by the Western Railway Engineering Division and backed by over 1,000 personnel from the Railway Protection Force and Mumbai Police, the demolition drive targeted nearly 400 unauthorised multi-storey structures. The High Court ruled that only 100 surveyed ground-floor structures would remain protected pending alternative housing arrangements.
Original article |
