The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified its drive against unauthorised constructions in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) of the Versova (Vesave) area. Two buildings were demolished on Wednesday as part of this ongoing operation which began in June 2024.
Since June 3, 2024, strict actions have been taken against unauthorised constructions in the Vesave village (Shivgalli) area, resulting in the demolition of seven buildings so far. These include ground plus three-story, four-story, and five-story structures. “On July 10, for the demolition drive, 39 BMC officers, 30 workers, one poclain machine, two JCBs, and five hand breakers were employed. Adequate police protection was in place during the operation,” said a senior civic official.
The BMC administration has clarified that an additional seven to eight buildings in this area will also face demolition soon. According to BMC, local fishermen had written to the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) regarding the problems they faced due to silt accumulation in the Vesawe area, which hindered their boat operations. The MMB communicated this to the BMC. Upon inspection, K-West ward officers discovered unauthorized constructions and issued notices.
"The land on which the eviction took place belongs to the State Government. These unauthorized constructions were built in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area," said the official. He added that the BMC initiated the action independently. The demolition drive was supervised by Deputy Commissioner (Zone-4) Vishwas Shankarwar and Assistant Commissioner (K-West) Chakrapani Alle. “Action is being taken against unauthorized constructions in this environmentally sensitive marshland and coastal management area (CRZ),” said the official.