Mumbai: As the massive demolition drive at Garib Nagar in Bandra entered its first day on Tuesday, Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek defended the action, stating that the operation was necessary for railway safety, critical infrastructure expansion and the larger development of Mumbai.
Speaking to ANI about the ongoing demolition drive, Abhishek said the Bombay High Court had issued “very clear and specific instructions” directing Western Railway to remove illegal encroachments from the railway land.
“The judgment says that Western Railways has to immediately clear all illegal structures here. We have to spare 100 hutments. The remaining hutments, which are approximately 500, have to be cleared immediately,” he said.
Abhishek further stated that over 1,000 officials had been deployed for the operation and that the authorities expect to clear and sanitise the area within the next four months.
“Such a handful of illegal encroachments cannot hold the entire Mumbai city hostage,” he said, while emphasising that the action was linked to railway safety and future infrastructure development.
The demolition drive at Garib Nagar began after the Bombay High Court, in its May 5 order, allowed Western Railway to continue the removal of structures built on railway land. However, the court also directed that occupants found eligible during the surveys conducted on August 10 and 11, 2021, must be protected in accordance with existing legal provisions.
According to officials, the drive is being carried out under heavy security deployment. Reports stated that personnel from the Mumbai Police, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) have been stationed in the area to maintain law and order during the operation.
Earlier, the Garib Nagar Rahiwasi Welfare Sangh Society had approached the court alleging that despite an earlier interim order restraining demolition of certain structures, homes belonging to eligible Project Affected Persons (PAPs) had allegedly been razed. The petition claimed the action caused displacement and hardship to families already declared eligible for rehabilitation.
During the hearing, advocate Aayush Kedia, representing the Railways, informed the court that eligible PAPs would be rehabilitated by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority under the Mumbai One project, which includes the development of Line 6 infrastructure works linked to the railway network.
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