MHADA Reclaims Eight Acres of Encroached Land in Juhu-Andheri

MHADA Reclaims Eight Acres of Encroached Land in Juhu-Andheri

Action Taken Following Bombay High Court’s Decision

The Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board, a regional division under MHADA, has successfully cleared unauthorized constructions and reclaimed nearly eight acres of land situated in the Juhu–Andheri area. This step was taken following a Bombay High Court ruling, which declined to issue a stay on the removal of unlawful encroachments from the site.

The site was previously designated for a Slum Rehabilitation Scheme involving Loknayak Nagar, Shivajinagar, and New Kapaswadi Co-operative Housing Societies. However, a joint inspection later identified that approximately 32,913 square meters of the land did not meet the criteria for rehabilitation. As a result, MHADA instructed the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to remove this portion from the proposal, and the issuance of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) was put on hold.

Despite ongoing legal proceedings, Bombay Slum Development Corporation Private Limited erected iron sheds on the disputed land without permission. Several complaints regarding these illegal constructions were received by the MHADA Mumbai Board, prompting appropriate corrective action. On February 12, 2025, the Bombay High Court dismissed the request for a stay, thereby allowing MHADA to proceed with the clearance.

Following the court's order, the Mumbai Board carried out a demolition drive and took possession of the encroached land. This operation was executed under the guidance of MHADA Vice President and CEO, Shri Sanjeev Jaiswal, IAS, based on the directions of Mumbai Board Chief Officer, Mr. Milind Borikar. The drive was implemented by the Mumbai Board’s Encroachment Removal Unit, led by Mr. Sandeep Kalambhe and supervised by Executive Engineer, Mr. Anil Rathod.