MHADA Reclaims Eight Acres of Encroached Land in Juhu-Andheri

MHADA has reclaimed eight acres of encroached land in Juhu-Andheri following a Bombay High Court order. Unauthorized structures were cleared after the court denied a stay on their removal. The land, originally part of a slum rehabilitation project, was found ineligible for redevelopment. Despite ongoing litigation, illegal sheds were erected, prompting MHADA to take action. The clearance drive was carried out under official directives to enforce land reclamation and urban planning regulations.

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The Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board, a unit of MHADA, has cleared unauthorized 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 the removal of illegal encroachments.

The land was originally designated for a Slum Rehabilitation Scheme under Loknayak Nagar Co-operative Housing Society, Shivajinagar Co-operative Housing Society, and New Kapaswadi Co-operative Housing Society. A joint survey identified 32,913 square meters of land that was not eligible for rehabilitation. MHADA 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 erected iron sheds on the disputed land. Complaints regarding the encroachment were received by the MHADA Mumbai Board, leading to action to clear the unauthorized structures.

On February 25, 2025, the Bombay High Court refused to grant a stay on the demolition. Following this decision, the Mumbai Board carried out a clearance operation and reclaimed the land.

The operation was led by MHADA’s Vice President and CEO and was executed by the encroachment removal unit of the Mumbai Board under directives from the Mumbai Board Chief Officer. The clearance drive was supervised by officials from the engineering department.