The Bombay High Court has criticised the Maharashtra government for its prolonged inaction in rehabilitating thousands of slum dwellers living within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and Aarey Colony. The court directed the state to identify three new land parcels, each measuring 90 acres, outside the city’s green zone within two weeks a move that could reshape the state’s long-stalled urban rehabilitation strategy.
A division bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad expressed deep dissatisfaction with the state’s repeated delays, noting that the issue has persisted despite multiple court orders dating back nearly three decades. The bench stated that the government’s failure to secure viable alternatives was undermining both human welfare and environmental protection goals.The directive came during hearings on petitions filed by citizen groups, including Samyak Janhit Seva Sanstha and Conservation Action Trust, which have long sought the removal of encroachments within the 104-square-kilometre protected forest that spans Mumbai and Thane.
The petitioners argued that continued habitation within SGNP and Aarey not only violates environmental regulations but also exposes low-income families to unsafe living conditions.During the proceedings, the state’s Advocate General, Dr. Birendra Saraf, informed the court that 44 acres near Marol-Maroshi had been earmarked for rehabilitation. However, the bench noted that the land falls within a regulated eco-sensitive zone, where construction requires special clearance from the National Board for Wildlife and possibly the Supreme Court. “It can’t be on possibility,” Chief Justice Chandrashekhar remarked, urging the state to avoid further procedural delays.
Urban development experts say the case underscores a recurring urban paradox: balancing ecological protection with social inclusion. “Mumbai’s green zones are vital ecological lungs, but rehabilitation is a basic human right. The solution lies in scientific land-use planning, not bureaucratic inertia,” said a senior urban planner familiar with the case.The court has now directed the state to file an affidavit listing three alternative sites outside protected forest areas by the end of November. It also reaffirmed the role of the high-powered committee led by former Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale, which was constituted last month to oversee encroachment removal and rehabilitation planning.The ruling serves as a critical reminder that sustainable city development must integrate both environmental resilience and equitable housing. With Mumbai’s urban sprawl pushing against ecological frontiers, the court’s intervention could set a precedent for reconciling green protection with humane rehabilitation.
Mumbai High Court Orders Maharashtra To Identify Three Lands Outside Green Zone
