The Bombay High Court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to submit a comprehensive action plan to permanently shut illegal meat and fish shops operating within 10 kilometres of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Mumbai International Airport, after Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) raised concerns that the businesses attract birds and create a bird-hit risk for aircraft.
A division bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata heard MIAL’s petition recently. The airport operator told the court that illegal slaughterhouses and meat-selling shops near the airport attract birds, potentially threatening flight safety. MIAL also submitted that the court had issued several orders on the issue in the past, but that they had not been properly implemented over the last decade.
The BMC presented a report detailing action taken between January and August 2026 across 13 administrative divisions. According to the report, the civic body had acted against 323 unauthorised meat-selling shops. However, the municipal corporation acknowledged that many of the businesses resumed operations on days other than the day of enforcement.
The BMC told the court through an affidavit that shops were often closed on the day of action and reopened later. It also acknowledged that illegal chicken sales continued despite the seizure of animals and goods. The court expressed displeasure at the civic body’s position and questioned why fully unauthorised establishments could not be demolished or removed in the same manner as roadside encroachments.
The issue is concentrated in dense settlements near the airport, including areas around Kurla. Enforcement in these neighbourhoods can involve crowded streets, active commercial activity and resistance during municipal action. The court therefore directed senior police officers to provide permanent police protection to officials if they face obstruction while acting against the illegal establishments.
The case places responsibility on multiple public authorities. The BMC is responsible for enforcement against unauthorised shops and slaughtering activity, while the police have been directed to support officials during operations. MIAL brought the aviation-safety concern before the court, linking local regulation and municipal enforcement with the operation of Mumbai’s busiest airport.
The court has now required the BMC to present a comprehensive plan aimed at ensuring that the illegal shops remain closed permanently. The next stage of the proceedings will focus on the civic body’s proposed enforcement and implementation measures.
