Mumbai, October 9, 2026: Residents have regained access to a plague-era cemetery in Amboli, Andheri (West), after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed a shop blocking its entrance on Thursday. The demolition followed years of efforts by the local church and residents to reclaim access to the historic burial ground.
The demand for access dates back nearly a decade. In December 2017, St Blaise Church, which owns the 327-square-metre cemetery, wrote to the BMC complaining that shop and shed operators along S V Road had illegally extended their structures by around five metres into the plot.
Nelson D’Souza, president of the Amboli Social Cell, an Advanced Locality Management group that has been pursuing the matter, said the encroachment had completely blocked access to the cemetery, inconveniencing parishioners. Livestock were also reportedly kept at the site.
The civic action clears the entrance to St Blaise Church’s burial ground, allowing plans for an access road and potential future burials | File Photo
Cemetery Dates Back To Plague Epidemic
The cemetery has around 100 graves, mostly of children. The land was historically used for burials during the 1904 plague epidemic, earning it the name ‘Plague Cemetery’.
With the existing cemetery adjacent to St Blaise Church running out of space, the church hopes to use the plot for fresh burials. The lack of space has forced bereaved families to travel to Oshiwara for burials.
D’Souza said local residents had also approached Andheri (West) MLA Ameet Satam, who assured them of assistance.
“I thank municipal officers for their exemplary work in clearing access to our church property,” D’Souza said.
BMC Removes Encroaching Structure
A senior official from the BMC’s K (West) ward said the structure was removed as part of the widening of S V Road. Although the structure was eligible for rehabilitation under the Kurar Pattern road-widening project, site inspections revealed that it had not been cleared despite claims to the contrary.
“We issued a notice directing them to remove unauthorised structures encroaching upon historic church property and blocking public access. On Thursday, we removed the structure with police protection,” the official said, adding that the shop owner had been persuaded not to obstruct the demolition.
The removal of the structure will enable the creation of an eight-feet-wide road with a length of 20 feet.
Local MLA Welcomes Restoration Of Access
Satam said the road-widening process had provided an opportunity to clear the encroachment and restore access to the cemetery.
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“It was a demand of the local church and the Christian community that this access should be cleared, and I have been trying to resolve this for the last six to seven years. Finally, we have been able to do so as part of the S V Road widening process. After a lot of effort, we have been able to restore access,” he said.
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