Hundreds of adivasis and their supporters successfully halted an anti-encroachment demolition drive by the forest department inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai on Tuesday. The protest forced officials to pause all action, with Forest Minister Ganesh Naik ordering a temporary stop until further discussions with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Background of the Demolition Notices
The forest department had issued notices on January 17 to at least 10 padas (hamlets) within SGNP, warning of imminent demolitions. These notices covered approximately 385 homes located in the Magathane, Malad, and Gundgaon areas. Authorities described these structures as "re-encroachments"—houses rebuilt by families who had previously been relocated but later returned to the park.
Historical Context and Court Orders
This action traces back to a 1997 Bombay High Court order that directed the clearance of all encroachments inside SGNP. According to the order, families whose names appeared on the electoral rolls of 1995 were eligible for rehabilitation. Over 10,000 families were subsequently allotted homes in Chandivali and Powai after paying Rs 7,000 each.
However, the Forest Department claims that 385 of these rehabilitated families later returned and reconstructed their homes inside the national park. Following a contempt petition filed in 2023 regarding non-compliance with the 1997 order, the High Court established a High Powered Committee (HPC) to revive the clearance process.
High Powered Committee's Decision
At a meeting on January 1, 2026, the HPC decided that these 385 re-encroachers would be cleared first. The committee includes distinguished members such as Justice Dilip Bhosale, former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court; Nitin Kareer, former Maharashtra chief secretary; Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, former director general of police; and Anitta Patil, IFS, conservator of forests and director of SGNP.
Families named in the notices were given until January 24 to file objections, while demolitions were scheduled to occur between January 19 and 28. Protests intensified after adivasi homes—estimated by residents to be around 40—were included in the demolition list, leading to agitations that continued for over a week.
Protest and Tribal Perspectives
As bulldozers arrived on Tuesday morning, adivasis and supporters from Aarey and other parts of Mumbai gathered at Navapada, one of the larger hamlets within SGNP. Residents reported that four adivasi homes in Navapada were listed for demolition. Other affected padas include Chinchpada, Tumnipada, Ravanpada, and Ketlaipada, which house both adivasi and non-adivasi residents.
Protesters also blocked demolitions of non-adivasi structures, demonstrating solidarity across communities. "All of us remained at Navapada from 9am to 4:30pm to prevent the demolitions, till the bulldozers were retracted," said Kiran Tokare of Ketlaipada. "A few people from a santha here met a delegation of the DCM Eknath Shinde, and got the demolitions to be paused. But this is only temporary; Forest Department officials have warned us they will return."
Legal Claims and Counterclaims
The adivasis have invoked the Forest Rights Act of 2006, asserting that their claims to the land are still under verification. In contrast, the Forest Department maintains that those issued notices had already been rehabilitated and insists that no original adivasis remain inside the park, claiming they were relocated to Dahanu by 1977.
Dinesh Barap, an adivasi resident of Navapada, expressed frustration: "On Republic Day, a day of celebration of the Constitution that gave us our rights, officials from the forest department were coming into our homes and threatening that we vacate our homes. How are we adivasis, original inhabitants of the forest, being termed as encroachers?"
Residents highlighted the complexity of the rehabilitation issue. Barap explained, "Some adivasis accepted the homes, with a certain amount of coercion. But the homes of the adivasis that are being targeted right now are of their children, who already had homes before the rehabilitation was floated."
Government Response and Future Implications
With political intervention, the demolitions have been temporarily halted. Forest Minister Ganesh Naik stated, "The forest department has been asked to take into consideration the issues of the tribals and their rehabilitation. Some of them will be given ground plus one homes in a 90 acre area in close proximity. For those who have returned after being rehabilitated, the rules will be explained to them."
The chief conservator of forests and director of SGNP emphasized in a statement: "It must be emphasised that unless persons who have misused the rehabilitation scheme are evicted, other eligible families who have been awaiting rehabilitation for a long period will continue to be deprived of the benefits envisaged under the Hon’ble Court’s order of 1997, despite the best efforts of the Government and the SGNP administration to ensure compliance."
This standoff underscores the ongoing tension between conservation efforts, legal mandates, and the rights of indigenous communities in urban forest areas. The temporary pause offers a window for dialogue, but with both sides holding firm to their positions, the resolution remains uncertain and closely watched by stakeholders across Maharashtra.
