Palghar, Maharashtra: The Bombay High Court has directed the state government and the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) to submit an affidavit within three weeks, by March 6, detailing plans for the rehabilitation of residents displaced by the demolition of 41 illegal buildings in Nalasopara. This ruling comes after the residents of these buildings were left homeless following demolition orders.
The court’s decision provides much-needed relief to the affected families, many of whom have been living in the demolished buildings for years. However, this action was taken based on the High Court’s order, which raised the issue of rehabilitation through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The 41 buildings, located in Agrawal Nagar, east of Nalasopara, were constructed illegally on land reserved for a dumping ground and sewage treatment plant (STP), according to reports. Over two thousand families resided in these structures. In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the High Court had ordered the demolition of these structures due to their unauthorized construction on reserved land. However, in November 2024, residents filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court to halt the demolition, which was unsuccessful, with the apex court upholding the High Court’s order. However, the Supreme Court also stipulated that residents should not be made homeless and should be resettled.
Despite this, no rehabilitation plan was put in place by the local administration, leaving many families to live under the open sky. The situation is particularly distressing given that children’s exams are currently underway, severely impacting their studies.
Advocates Chetan Bhoir and Barry D’Souza, representing the displaced residents, filed a PIL in the High Court through lawyer Vijay Kurle, demanding immediate rehabilitation. The case was heard on Thursday by a bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharti Dangre, who questioned the administration about their plans for rehabilitating the residents and the efforts being made in this regard. The court then ordered the state government and the municipal corporation to submit an affidavit within three weeks.
As of Friday, all 41 buildings have been demolished. The court’s intervention offers a glimmer of hope for the displaced residents, who have been struggling to rebuild their lives after the demolitions
