The Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board, a unit of MHADA, has cleared unauthorised structures and taken possession of eight acres of land in Juhu-Andheri. This action follows the Bombay High Court's decision to deny a stay on removing illegal encroachments on the site.
The land was initially earmarked for a Slum Rehabilitation Scheme under Loknayak Nagar Co-operative Housing Society, Shivajinagar Co-operative Housing Society, and New Kapaswadi Co-operative Housing Society. However, a joint survey identified 32,913 square meters of land not eligible for rehabilitation. MHADA had instructed the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to exclude this portion from the project, and the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the scheme was put on hold.
Despite ongoing litigation, Bombay Slum Development Corporation Private Limited illegally erected iron sheds on the disputed land. Complaints regarding this encroachment were received by the MHADA Mumbai Board, prompting necessary action to clear the unauthorised structures.
The Bombay High Court refused to grant a stay on the demolition, paving the way for the clearance operation. Acting on this decision, the Mumbai Board conducted a removal drive and reclaimed the land.
The operation was conducted under MHADA Vice President and CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal, IAS, following directives from Mumbai Board Chief Officer Milind Borikar. The clearance drive was executed by the Encroachment Removal unit of the Mumbai Board, led by Sandeep Kalambhe, under the supervision of Executive Engineer Anil Rathod.
