The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will conduct a special demolition and eviction drive against unauthorised slum structures measuring 14 feet or more from 1 October to 31 December 2026, prompting opposition leaders to demand rehabilitation before any action is taken.
The proposed campaign could affect more than 100,000 slum residents, according to a report by Loksatta. Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh and Mumbai Congress president and MP Varsha Gaikwad have opposed the move and urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to stop the campaign.
The BMC’s reported action is aimed at curbing unauthorised construction in slum areas. Structures measuring 14 feet or more would face eviction action during the three-month drive. The report does not provide details of the number of structures identified, the ward-wise scope of the campaign, or the criteria that will be used to measure height.
Shaikh has asked the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance to clarify its position, pointing to an earlier election-period position that slums up to 18 feet in height should be regularised and that structures above 14 feet should receive protection. He also called for the campaign to be suspended immediately to provide relief to slum residents.
Gaikwad has separately opposed the proposed demolitions under the slogan “rehabilitation first, action later”. Referring to the Dharavi redevelopment process and other Slum Rehabilitation Authority projects in Mumbai, she demanded a guarantee that affected residents would be rehabilitated within the city.
The dispute places rehabilitation at the centre of the BMC’s enforcement plan. Demolition action against occupied homes can become a housing and resettlement issue when residents do not have a clear alternative before structures are removed. The political demands raised in response focus on whether the civic body will establish eligibility, relocation arrangements and rehabilitation commitments before beginning the drive.
The Loksatta report does not state whether the BMC has issued a public notification detailing the campaign, nor does it mention a rehabilitation plan, a list of eligible residents or a schedule for hearings and notices. It also does not record a response from the BMC or the state government to the demands made by Shaikh and Gaikwad.
The special drive is scheduled to run until 31 December 2026. The next significant step will be the BMC’s implementation of the proposed action from 1 October and any decision by the chief minister or civic administration on the demand for a stay and prior rehabilitation.
