5 months ago
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Tensions flared successful Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) connected Tuesday (January 27, 2026) aft hundreds of tribals protested extracurricular the park, demanding that the eviction thrust implemented by the Maharashtra Forest Department should beryllium halted. Following the resistance, the authorities has temporarily stayed the eviction.
“Considering the seriousness of the matter, the eviction was suspended. However, the imperishable solution volition beryllium recovered successful the adjacent gathering with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and according to the determination that volition beryllium made,” said State Forest Minister Ganesh Naik.
The eviction drive, which was scheduled betwixt January 18 and January 28, was carried retired successful compliance with the Bombay High Court and its appointed High Power Committee (HPC) orders, arsenic per the SGNP officials, who assertion that 385 encroacher families had already been allotted houses and person re-encroached upon wood land.
The protestors, claiming their rights to the onshore nether the Forest Rights Act, rejected the houses successful the SRA task and opposed the government’s determination to halt demolition. During the clash, protestors pelted stones astatine the police, who were deployed connected the SGNP premises.
Condemning the pelting of stones by protestors during the clash, Mr. Naik said, “Some radical volition person a location constructed by Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), portion others volition person a ground+1 location successful the 90-acre plot, and their root of livelihood volition beryllium taken attraction of.” An autarkic committee volition besides beryllium acceptable up to reappraisal the contented of encroachment. The committee volition survey the tribal settlements and taxable a study connected rehabilitation options.
The lawsuit concerning the encroachment successful SGNP has been going connected since 1987, with the tribunal successful respective hearings ordering the rehabilitation of the radical residing wrong the Protected Area and arsenic per names look connected the electoral rotation arsenic connected January 1, 1995.
According to the SGNP authority, successful 1997, the Bombay High Court directed that each encroachments connected wood onshore wrong SGNP beryllium removed. The administrative outgo of ₹7,000/- per household was prescribed, arsenic eligible encroachers were initially projected to beryllium rehabilitated astatine Shirdon adjacent Kalyan. Thereafter, it was decided to relocate eligible encroacher families to Chandivali, Powai, Mumbai.
Under Phase-I of the rehabilitation programme, much than 11,000 eligible families were allotted tenements astatine Chandivali. However, 299 families could not beryllium rehabilitated owed to the non-availability of constructed tenements and were earmarked for rehabilitation nether Phase-II,” arsenic per the connection released by the SGNP authority.
As the directions of the High Court successful 1997 were not afloat complied with, a Contempt Petition was filed and remains pending, and HPC was formed. During the committee gathering with the stakeholders similar DBS Realty, SRA, MHADA, CIDCO, MMRDA, AAI, BMC, Collector MSD, Forest Department and Police Department, it appeared that 385 encroacher families who had already been allotted tenements astatine Chandivali nether Phase-I person erstwhile again encroached upon wood onshore and are surviving wrong SGNP, arsenic per the SGNP authority.
SGNP authorities person identified specified encroacher families who had antecedently received rehabilitation benefits and subsequently re-encroached upon SGNP land. Notices regarding their eviction were duly published astatine each applicable locations connected January 17, and each acrophobic person been informed to vacate the premises connected their own.
