August 25, 2025: In a bid to curb rampant illegal construction, municipal commissioner and administrator Saurabh Rao has directed the formation of a special task force to target unauthorised buildings, particularly in Diva and Mumbra. These two suburban areas have emerged as hotspots, accounting for nearly 40% of all illegal structures identified within the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) limits.
The move follows stern observations by the Bombay High Court during a mid-June hearing on a land grab case in Shil. A civic survey conducted soon after identified 151 illegal structures across nine wards, with Diva leading at 40 cases and Mumbra following with 20. “So far, we’ve taken action against 227 illegal buildings and filed 24 criminal cases against those responsible,” Rao said.
Rao clarified that while demolition drives will continue, occupied structures will be temporarily spared until the Ganesh festival concludes. However, under-construction illegal buildings will face immediate action. The task force has been instructed to maintain vigilance in high-risk zones and recommend swift enforcement against ongoing violations.
The anti-encroachment department, headed by Shankar Patole, will spearhead the initiative, supported by deputy municipal commissioners and junior officials from each ward. On-ground action is expected to intensify after the festival, with additional police deployment to address possible resistance.
Meanwhile, activists and political leaders have urged accountability for civic officials allegedly complicit in the issue. Local politicians allege that a nexus between certain municipal staff and the land mafia has enabled such constructions, with residents sometimes allowed to occupy lower floors while upper floors remain incomplete—a strategy seen as delaying demolition efforts. “It seemed like a ploy to delay any action, and it worked for a while,” said a resident of an illegal building in Shil that was demolished in June on court orders.
Leaders, including NCP (SP) spokesperson and MLA Jitendra Awhad and Congress Thane president Vikrant Chavan have demanded strict action not only against builders but also civic officials accused of turning a blind eye.
Source: The Times of India
