November 19, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday carried out the forcible eviction of 66 tenants from Parksite Colony in Vikhroli (West), clearing three of the 28 buildings it has categorised as “dangerous” under the C1 classification.
The redevelopment and rehabilitation of the colony—built on BMC-owned land—continues to face legal challenges and friction between residents and the civic body. Tenants accused the BMC of rushing the process, ignoring due procedure, and undermining their rehabilitation claims. Many objected to the temporary accommodation offered at an Oberoi Realty project in Bhandup, arguing that the relocation would significantly disrupt their routines. They also maintained that they were entitled to rehabilitation under DCPR 33(9), which they believe grants them 650-sq-ft homes, not the 405-sq-ft units presently proposed.
In a letter dated November 10, the Association argued that the redevelopment should be treated as cluster redevelopment under DCPR 33(9). It said the vacate notice was issued “without resolving these fundamental issues, consent, agreements, entitlements and safe transit”, calling the move “premature and unjust coercion” that had created “unnecessary anxiety among tenants who are willing to cooperate but seek fairness and transparency”.
The Parksite Ekta Welfare Association said it was distressed by the 48-hour eviction notices issued on November 6 and 14, adding that the BMC had disregarded multiple written submissions to senior officials, including municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani. Association president Amanat Abbas Khan said the action was “a brazen denial of our constitutional rights”, insisting that the colony qualified for cluster redevelopment and “modern amenities”. He argued that “one parking for eight tenements with inadequate compound area” would compromise residents’ lives, adding, “This is just manipulation by the BMC.”
Long-time tenant Ajit D said families were being displaced without proper agreements or clarity. “The residents of two buildings who vacated four years ago are still living in 180-sq-ft transit rooms in Vikhroli,” he said. “But the BMC has forcibly thrown out our families and belongings and vacated three buildings.” Residents demanded registered agreements specifying transit rent, timelines, amenities, and penalties, fearing relocation to Bhandup would affect schooling, jobs, and access to services.
Officials from the BMC’s N ward defended the action, stating that the structures were unsafe. They said tenants had been offered two transit options—accommodation at Oberoi Realty in Bhandup or at a camp on LBS Marg in Vikhroli. One official said the 405-sq-ft homes were an upgrade from the current 280-sq-ft units, adding that buildings 17 and 18 would be ready next November. Formal agreements, he said, could be executed only after rehabilitation units were allotted through a lottery. He emphasised that this is BMC’s first self-executed redevelopment project, avoiding delays linked to private builders.
The C1 classification itself had been challenged in the civil court in 2019 and later in the Bombay High Court in September 2024. While residents agreed to stay at their own risk, the BMC said it could not be held liable for structural dangers. According to officials, 594 tenants across 28 buildings will ultimately be rehabilitated, and the current disruption will last “only two years”.
