The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has successfully reclaimed an 8-acre (32,913 sq. meters) land parcel in Juhu-Andheri, Mumbai, by removing encroachments following a Bombay High Court order.
The land, originally allocated for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers from Loknayak Nagar, Shivajinagar, and New Kapaswadi Cooperative Housing Societies, had become the subject of unauthorized construction. In 2003, MHADA had issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for 59,086.30 sq. meters under the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme (SRA). However, 32,913 sq. meters of this land were later excluded due to unauthorized encroachments and lack of requisite approvals.
In 2022, Bombay Slum Development Corporation Pvt. Ltd. filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court regarding this land. Despite the case being sub judice, the organization illegally erected iron sheds on the disputed property, prompting complaints to MHADA. Upon receiving these complaints, MHADA promptly issued notices to the encroachers, instructing them to remove the unauthorized structures.
During a hearing on February 25, 2025, the Bombay High Court refused to grant a stay on the removal of encroachments. Following this decision, MHADA swiftly initiated an anti-encroachment drive and successfully reclaimed the land.
The operation was conducted under the leadership of MHADA Vice President and CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal, with guidance from Mumbai Board Chief Officer Milind Borikar. The eviction drive was overseen by Sandeep Kalambhe, Head of the Encroachment Removal Cell and Anil Rathod, Executive Engineer.
With this decisive action, MHADA has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public land and ensuring legal housing development in Mumbai.
