Western Railway starts Bandra anti-encroachment drive

Western Railway began a five-day anti-encroachment and demolition drive on May 19 at Garib Nagar near Bandra East railway station after the Bombay High Court allowed it to remove unauthorised structures on railway land. The operation is aimed at clearing roughly 5,200 to 5,300 square metres for railway safety and future expansion works, according to Western Railway and officials quoted by local media. Heavy police and railway security deployment accompanied the first day of demolitions as residents objected to the action. Western Railway said the land is needed for capacity augmentation, including the planned fifth and sixth lines on the suburban network and wider works linked to Bandra Terminus. ### Why did the demolitions start now? The Bombay High Court’s April 29, 2026 order cleared the way for Western Railway to remove the structures, and railway officials said the matter had been in litigation for years. Western Railway said proceedings under the Public Premises Act began before 2017 and eviction orders were passed on Nov. 27, 2017. The railway told reporters the latest high court order was later upheld in further proceedings, including before the Supreme Court. (thehindu.com) Western Railway spokespersons said the action was not sudden. The Hindu reported a WR spokesperson saying the process had been underway since 2017 and should be seen in the context of railway safety and augmentation. ### How much land and how many structures are involved? Western Railway said the drive is set to clear at least 400 unauthorised structures across 5,200 square metres of land near Bandra East station. (thehindu.com) PTI, quoting Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek, reported the operation covered about 500 huts on railway land at Garib Nagar and aimed to free 5,300 square metres. Vineet Abhishek told PTI that about 15% to 18% of the targeted huts were cleared on the first day. The figures differ slightly across reports, but both accounts describe one of the larger recent clearance operations on railway land in Mumbai. ### What does Western Railway say the land is needed for? (thehindu.com) Western Railway said the encroached land will be used for expansion of the fifth and sixth railway lines between Santacruz and Mumbai Central to reduce congestion on the western suburban network. The railway also said it has planned an integrated complex at Bandra Terminus with elevated roads, multi-storey buildings, platforms and maintenance facilities. (hindustantimes.com) The Hindu quoted a WR spokesperson as saying the issue is “deeply related to safety and the augmentation plan of railways.” PTI reported the railway described the area as a safety-sensitive operational zone that could not remain perpetually encroached upon. ### Who was on the ground during the operation? (thehindu.com) More than 1,000 personnel from the Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police and state police were deployed during the demolitions, according to The Hindu. Western Railway told PTI the drive was being conducted jointly with the civil administration, police authorities and railway security agencies to maintain law and order and ensure what it called humane execution. (thehindu.com) NDTV Profit reported the operation near Bandra East involved clearing more than 400 illegal structures and was backed by heavy security because of the scale of the redevelopment and expansion plan. ### What are residents and vendors saying? Residents opposed the demolitions and raised concerns about displacement and loss of livelihood, according to The Hindu’s report from the site. (thehindu.com) The article said opposition from residents had stalled an earlier attempt to carry out the drive in 2017, sending the matter into court. (ndtvprofit.com) Western Railway said identified legal structures would not be touched. The Hindu reported the railway saying the court order instructed authorities to protect 100 legal structures identified in a survey conducted in August 2021. ### What happens next? May 23 is the scheduled end date for the current five-day drive, according to Western Railway officials. (thehindu.com) The railway said the cleared land is intended for future infrastructure works tied to Bandra Terminus and the western suburban network, while officials said structures identified as eligible for protection under the court-backed survey process would be left undisturbed.