More than 200 houses were demolished in Mumbai’s Garib Nagar slum cluster in Bandra East on May 20 as a Bombay High Court-ordered anti-encroachment drive turned violent, with residents pelting stones at officials and police personnel.
Police responded with a baton charge and made several arrests.
The demolition, led by Western Railway, targets over 400 illegal structures built on railway land near Bandra station. Emotional scenes unfolded as families watched bulldozers tear down homes, with women and children pleading with officials.
Authorities said around 100 families identified in earlier surveys would be rehabilitated, while others were deemed illegal occupants. The cleared land will be used to expand railway lines and improve suburban and long-distance train connectivity.
The eviction highlights the difficult balance between Mumbai’s rapid infrastructure growth and the lives of thousands living in long-established slum communities.
