The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) removed five unauthorised stalls and other structures near the LP Circle flyover in Nerul on Friday after complaints that the roadside commercial activity was obstructing traffic and restricting pedestrian movement.
The structures had come up along the highway next to the flyover in Shivajinagar, Nerul. According to the civic body, the Nerul ward office received multiple complaints about the encroachments, including concerns that vehicles were being impeded and pedestrians were unable to pass through the area.
The NMMC anti-encroachment drive was carried out on the directions of Municipal Commissioner Kailas Shinde. It was conducted under the guidance of Sukhdev Yedve, deputy commissioner of the civic encroachment department, while Chanda Gaikwad, administrative officer at the Nerul ward office, led the operation.
The civic body deployed eight labourers, two hydra cranes, two dumpers and a trailer for the demolition and removal work. Officers and staff from the Nerul encroachment department participated in the action along with security guards and local police personnel.
The operation highlights the administrative challenge of managing roadside commercial activity around high-traffic junctions and flyovers. Structures placed on or beside carriageways and footpaths can reduce usable road and walking space, particularly at locations where vehicles merge, turn or slow down. In this case, the civic body linked the structures directly to complaints about congestion and blocked pedestrian access.
Residents and commuters in the area had reportedly complained about traffic congestion near the flyover, where roadside stalls had spilled onto parts of the carriageway and footpaths. The NMMC said the removal of the structures was expected to improve traffic flow and restore pedestrian access around the location.
The action also forms part of a wider enforcement effort by the municipal corporation. NMMC said it would intensify its crackdown on encroachments in the coming days, indicating that unauthorised structures in other city wards could also face action.
The civic body has not provided details in the supplied report about rehabilitation or alternative vending arrangements for those operating the removed stalls. The next phase of the enforcement drive will depend on further action by the NMMC across the city’s wards, according to its stated plan to continue the crackdown.
