Monsoon looms for 100 families in Mumbai's Garib Nagar after demolitions

Approximately 100 families in Mumbai's Garib Nagar, whose homes were partially demolished for railway expansion, are facing the monsoon without assured alternate accommodation. The demolitions, carried out between May 19 and May 23, affected nearly 500 out of 600 homes in the Bandra East settlement, part of works for the fifth and sixth railway lines and station augmentation.

Despite Western Railway writing to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on June 9 urging urgent rehabilitation, administrative delays have left families in damaged structures. The first request for rehabilitation housing dates back to September 2025, but the process has been stalled due to funding and approval issues.

Many homes now stand amid rubble, with upper floors removed, staircases incomplete, roofs damaged, and utility connections severed. Residents report living without electricity or adequate water supply, forcing them to fetch water from distant sources. During the day, families seek shade under a skywalk, and at night they sleep on rooftops to escape the heat.

Some residents, like Farida Salim Ansari, have deep roots in the area. Her 14-year-old daughter attends a nearby school, and she recently paid Rs 40,000 for her granddaughter's Class 1 enrolment. “How can we uproot ourselves from here?” she asked. Others have sent family members to villages while staying behind to guard their homes.

The affected families were identified as project-affected persons (PAPs) under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) and were deemed eligible for rehabilitation in a joint survey by the railways and MMRDA in 2021. Their homes were spared complete demolition but left partially damaged and without basic amenities.

An MMRDA official said rehabilitation homes have been earmarked in the HDIL buildings in Kurla, with repair work nearly complete. However, the metropolitan commissioner’s approval is pending before allotments can be made. The delay stems from questions raised over an earlier rehabilitation proposal. Western Railway initiated the process after the 2021 survey but later paused it, citing a shortage of funds.

The process was revived in September 2025, when Western Railway renewed its request. MMRDA is responsible for allotting homes, while Western Railway is paying approximately Rs 12.5 lakh for each 275 sq ft rehabilitation flat. However, in April, the file was returned by the Metropolitan Commissioner seeking an explanation for the halt. The railways have responded, but final approval is still awaited.

Even if approvals come soon, officials acknowledge rehabilitation is unlikely before late July, leaving families to spend part of the monsoon in damaged homes. The residents, who have been waiting for years, now face the immediate threat of rains while hoping for the homes they were promised.