Last month a petition was submitted by the IIT Bombay community, consisting of over 250 concerned students, faculty, staff, and alumni, to the assistant commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The petition protested the illegal demolition of homes in Jai Bhim Nagar, Powai, near the IIT campus. It called for compensation for damages and access to the land for rebuilding houses. Additionally, a fundraiser was organized to support the affected residents. The demolition, which occurred on June 6, resulted in over 700 homes being destroyed as part of an anti-encroachment drive.
Residents were given only 48 hours' notice before the demolition. The action was taken in violation of a government resolution issued by the state’s urban development department on June 29, 2021, which prohibited the demolition of unauthorized constructions on government, semi-government, or private land during the monsoon season, from June 1 to September 30.
During the demolition, residents faced violence from police and bouncers employed by a building company. Approximately 650-700 families were left homeless, according to the Jai Bhim Nagar Bachao Samiti. This displacement occurred just before a yellow alert for the monsoon was issued. By June 26, 55 residents, including women and children, were arrested out of the 72 accused in a FIR filed by the BMC. The Jai Bhim Nagar Bachao Samiti reported that the arrested residents were brutally beaten by police officers. Jai Bhim Nagar, a slum adjacent to IIT Bombay, is home to many of the institution's workers.
The petition condemned the demolition as a cruel act and highlighted the severe humanitarian violations observed during a recent visit to the slums.The community witnessed displaced residents living on the footpath, many of whom had been in their homes for over 35 years, now facing the harsh conditions of the Mumbai monsoon without adequate shelter, water, medical care, or sanitation. The demolition destroyed most of their possessions, including essential household items like kitchen appliances, beds, and televisions.
The petition emphasized that the colony had been established since 1994, with many residents having proof of residence. It stated that the 700 families, primarily from scheduled castes and tribes, were left homeless amid the monsoon season and had to return to the demolition site to recover their belongings.The demands of the petition included immediate rehabilitation for all residents, restoration of land access for rebuilding houses, compensation for damages caused during the illegal demolitions, dropping all charges against those arrested, and their immediate release.