BMC clears last homes of Jai Bhim Nagar in Powai

Nearly two years after the first demolition, the BMC on Monday cleared the last remaining structures of Jai Bhim Nagar — a Powai settlement of migrant workers that had existed for nearly four decades.

Jai Bhim Nagar first came under the civic body’s demolition drive in June 2024, when authorities razed a large portion of the settlement.

The action triggered clashes between residents and police, with reports of stone-pelting and a subsequent lathicharge.

Around 60 residents were detained following the confrontation.

The demolition had drawn criticism at the time as it was carried out during the monsoon months, when slum demolitions are typically restricted under a government resolution.

According to a report by the volunteer collective Sabki Library, Jai Bhim Nagar began as a migrant labour settlement in 1987, when workers were brought to the area during the early development of the Hiranandani Group township in Powai.

Over the decades, the cluster grew into a community of domestic workers, daily wage labourers and students who had lived there for more than two decades.

After the 2024 demolitions, residents who remained on the roadside struggled with poor sanitation, mosquito infestations, lack of water supply and limited access to toilets while living under makeshift tarpaulin shelters.

Following the first demolition, residents approached the Bombay High Court with legal assistance arranged by Naseem Khan of the Indian National Congress.

The petition led to the formation of a Special Investigation Team and an FIR against certain BMC and Hiranandani officials over the demolition process.

Despite this, court proceedings later stalled and little action followed in the FIR, according to activists working with the residents.

Meanwhile, volunteers and students from nearby colleges helped run a small community initiative, Sabki Library, within the settlement and repeatedly wrote to the civic body seeking basic facilities such as water supply and toilets for the displaced families.

The final removal of the settlement followed petitions filed in the Bombay High Court by neighbouring housing societies, Tivoli Cooperative Housing Society and Evita Cooperative Housing Society, in June 2025, and later by Beaumont HFSI Pre-Primary School and its principal Kalyani Patnaik, seeking action against what they described as encroachments.

Courts subsequently directed authorities to clear the remaining structures.

“The residents took their struggle to court and argued that the demolition was illegal, but the judiciary ultimately declared them encroachers and ordered their removal,” said Tejaswin, a volunteer associated with Sabki Library and a student at Dr Ambedkar College of Law.

In August last year, authorities had cleared the first batch of residents still living along Central Avenue Road.

Monday’s drive targeted the last remaining families, largely migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, who had continued living in temporary shelters along the 90-feet Road.

With the demolitions completed, Jai Bhim Nagar, a settlement that existed in Powai for nearly four decades, has now been fully removed.

Sabah Virani is a journalist with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau, covering infrastructure, housing and urban issues.

In the realms of technical fields, she brings out human stories and the pace of change ongoing in the city.

Specialised Role: Tracking infrastructure in Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Sabah’s reporting tracks progress on various projects.

From bridges to metros, she mixes technical details with resourceful information.

Core coverage areas: Sabah keeps a close eye on the activities of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and its projects across the MMR, including the metros, road projects, bridges, the bullet train, pod taxi, its role as a planning authority, and more.

She also watches for developments from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) and the GoM’s Urban Development department.

Housing: Sabah also tracks developments in housing, particularly the workings of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

She also keeps a keen watch on the big redevelopment projects ongoing in Mumbai, including the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, Motilal Nagar, Kamathipura, BDD Chawl redevelopment, among others.

Occasionally, she reports on the environment, biodiversity, waste, arts and culture.

Experience: Prior to working for the Indian Express, Sabah covered the municipality, civic issues and miscellaneous for Hindustan Times.

Before that, she covered all things Mumbai for the online publication Citizen Matters.

She has also worked as an editorial assistant at FiftyTwo.in.

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