Demolition drive at Mumbai's Bandra complete, Railways clear encroachments for infra expansion
Mumbai, May 23
The Western Railway administration on Saturday successfully completed a major anti-encroachment drive near the Bandra railway station, completely flattening all illegal structures and shanties in the Garib Nagar area of Mumbai's Bandra East.
Following the five-day intensive operation, debris clearance work commenced on Saturday.
According to the Railway officials, while unauthorised structures were completely razed, the ground floors of around 100 authorised houses in the locality were left untouched to ensure safety, though upper illegal floors of these buildings were demolished.
The five-day mega demolition drive was not entirely peaceful.
Violence erupted when the demolition of a local religious structure began, prompting angry residents to pelt stones at the authorities to halt the process.
To bring the situation under control and disperse the rioting mob, the police resorted to a cane-charge. Several police personnel and locals sustained injuries during the clash. However, due to a heavy security blanket and strict police deployment, further escalation was prevented.
Aside from this single incident of stone-pelting, the rest of the demolition process was carried out smoothly.
"Western Railway has achieved 100 per cent completion in this demolition drive against unauthorised structures. Work to remove the resulting debris has already begun. Furthermore, to ensure that this land is not encroached upon again, the construction of a protective boundary wall has been initiated and will be completed soon," Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Western Railway, said.
With the vast stretch of land now cleared, the Bandra station area has visibly opened up, making commuting significantly easier for passengers.
Western Railway is now planning a major overhaul of the precinct to boost passenger comfort.
"Plans are being drawn up to introduce passenger-centric amenities in the Bandra area soon. A new layout will be designed to ensure smooth entry and exit points, making the commuter experience hassle-free. The new infrastructure will be developed keeping the dynamic needs and requirements of the passengers in mind," a senior Western Railway official said.
The cleared land in Bandra holds immense strategic importance for the railway administration.
The removal of these long-standing encroachments has unlocked vital space for future infrastructure expansion and the introduction of additional train services. As one of the busiest railway corridors in the country, this section has proposed plans to augment passenger capacity.
Senior Railway officials noted that the availability of this land will now facilitate the introduction of additional long-distance trains, the creation of dedicated corridors for specific train operations, and a significant improvement in the punctuality of local suburban trains.
A Railway official also said that the reclaimed land is vital for multiple mega-railway projects aiming to ease Mumbai's severe commuter congestion. This land clears the path to expand the fifth and sixth railway lines on the Santacruz-Mumbai Central corridor.
Rebuilding these railway lines allows the Railways to completely separate local suburban trains from long-distance outstation trains. This will immediately improve the punctuality of local trains.
The Railway official added that the cleared area will facilitate a better connection between the Bandra suburban station and the Bandra Terminus, allowing the Railways to run up to 50 new originating long-distance trains.
The cleared bottleneck will improve general access toward the nearby Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), which is currently seeing massive upgrades, including the upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train station.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm all for development, but did they really have to demolish people's homes without proper rehabilitation? Garib Nagar was home to thousands of poor families. Where will they go now? 😢 The Railways talk about passenger comfort, but what about the displaced? Infrastructure is important, but so are human lives.
As a daily commuter on the Western line, this is long overdue. The fifth and sixth lines will be a game-changer for reducing delays. But demolishing homes without alternative arrangements is harsh. The Railways should have a clear rehab policy before such drives. Also, stone-pelting over a religious structure? That's just criminal behavior.
Interesting to see this from a foreign perspective. In the US, we'd have years of court cases and community hearings before any such action. The efficiency here is impressive, but the lack of due process is concerning. Hope the displaced families get fair compensation and that the new station truly serves the public.
Kaam toh accha kiya hai Railways ne! 👏 Bandra station ka choke point hat gaya ab. 50 naye long-distance trains aur bullet train connection? That's massive for Mumbai's future. But bhai, Garib Nagar wale logon ka kya? Unka punarvasan kahan? Development should not come at the cost of the poor.
Mixed feelings. On one hand, these encroachments were illegal and causing safety hazards. On the other, people lost their homes overnight. The Railways should have announced a timeline and provided alternatives. Also, the religious structure issue is sensitive - proper dialogue could have avoided
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.