Stone Pelting After Mumbai Slum Demolition

A Bombay High Court-backed demolition drive in Mumbai’s Garib Nagar slum cluster turned violent on Wednesday after residents hurled stones at police personnel and civic officials carrying out the operation. Police later used lathi charges to disperse the crowd and detained several people as tensions escalated in the area. Authorities launched the drive to remove hundreds of illegal structures built on railway land near Bandra East station.

Western Railway officials said the large-scale anti-encroachment drive aims to clear more than 400 unauthorised structures, including an illegal religious structure, standing close to the railway tracks. Authorities stated that the demolition operation would continue for at least two more days under heavy police deployment to prevent further clashes and maintain law and order in the area.

Officials are carrying out the demolition as part of a major suburban railway expansion project intended to reduce congestion on Mumbai’s overcrowded local train network. The cleared land will help construct the fifth and sixth railway lines on the Santacruz–Mumbai Central corridor, allowing additional train services, smoother railway operations, and better connectivity between Bandra suburban station and Bandra Terminus.

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Families Left Devastated During Demolition Drive

Several emotional scenes unfolded throughout the day as bulldozers demolished homes where families had lived for decades. Residents watched helplessly as workers brought down houses, while many people rushed to remove furniture, household items, and personal belongings before the structures collapsed. Women and children were seen pleading with officials during the chaotic situation, fearing uncertainty about their future.

According to Western Railway, surveys conducted in August 2021 identified only around 100 families as eligible for rehabilitation benefits. Authorities said they would provide alternative accommodation to eligible families, while they classified the remaining structures as illegal encroachments on railway land.Officials also argued that the demolition became necessary because encroachments and waste dumping near the tracks posed safety risks to railway operations.

The Garib Nagar demolition has once again highlighted the difficult balance between Mumbai’s infrastructure development and the struggles of slum residents. While authorities believe such projects are essential to modernise the city and improve transport services, many residents and activists argue that proper rehabilitation and support for displaced families should remain a top priority during redevelopment drives.

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