Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) carried out an extensive demolition drive on Wednesday against unauthorised constructions in the Nerul, Turbhe, and Airoli wards. These actions were initiated after repeated notices to the property owners failed to elicit compliance, prompting decisive measures by the Encroachment Department.
In the Nerul ward, inspections revealed several unauthorised commercial activities. At a property in Sarsole, owned by Shishir R. Shah, unauthorised structures measuring approximately 6m x 5m were used to run laundry, an office, and sell vegetables. Similarly, another property owned by Singh Gurudir Pal was found to have a shop constructed on a residential plot, violating the approved plan. Despite prior notices issued under Section 53(1A) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966, they failed to rectify these violations, leading to eviction actions supervised by Assistant Commissioner Jayant Javadekar with police support and demolition equipment.
In Turbhe, the ward office discovered unauthorised RCC constructions in multiple locations. A G+3 structure belonging to Gopal Chavan in Sector 20 was demolished after notices under Section 54 of the MRTP Act went unheeded. Similar actions were taken against properties owned by Dashrathlal Ramdhar Gupta and Manini Prabhakar Jadhav in Sector 21. Their unauthorised structures, including G+2 and G+3 buildings, were dismantled during operations overseen by Assistant Commissioner Prabodhan Mawade.
The Airoli ward also saw significant action against illegal constructions. Two Row houses in Sector 4, Airoli, were found to be under construction without any permission. Notices were served, but the owners continued their activities. Consequently, these unauthorized structures were partially demolished on January 8, 2025. The operation also resulted in the collection of a Rs 50,000 penalty from the violators.
The NMMC has reiterated its commitment to curbing unauthorized constructions and has announced plans to intensify such actions in the future to maintain the city's urban planning and regulations.