The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a stop-work notice for a transit camp project in Worli after discovering that construction was underway on land reserved for a civic sewage treatment plant. Civic officials said the plot belongs to the BMC and houses critical sewer infrastructure, raising concerns over flooding and system failure, particularly during the monsoon.
According to officials, two major BMC sewer lines pass through the site, and preliminary inspections indicate that construction activity has already disrupted sewage flow. This prompted the civic body to intervene and halt further work. Additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi on Thursday directed the BMC’s chief engineer (sewerage operations) to file a criminal complaint against D B Patil, an executive engineer of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) from G South ward, for allegedly granting illegal permission in April 2025 for the construction of seven transit camp buildings.
In her official communication, Joshi accused Patil of collusion with the project’s private developers—Lokhandwala Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and M/s Lokhandwala DB Realty LLP. The transit camp structures, numbered 1 to 7, were intended to temporarily house residents affected by a proposed special township project involving slum redevelopment at Jivanjyot (SRA) CHS, Shree Swami Vivekanand Nagar, Veer Jijamata Nagar and Mata Ramabai Nagar in Worli.
Patil, however, told TOI that the SRA had revoked the permission granted for the transit camp buildings and that he had filed an FIR against the developers on September 15, 2025, alleging that construction had commenced without valid approval. He added, “We are handing over the reservation plot (to the BMC) tomorrow.”
The issue has gained urgency following a warning issued by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), which cautioned that damage to sewer lines at the site could result in large-scale flooding across parts of central and south Mumbai during the monsoon. The DDMA said the plot contains an ageing but vital sewer network, including a 57-inch diameter sewer line and a 4 ft 8 inches by 7 ft main sewer line connected to the Lovegrove Sewerage Pumping Station. These lines handle significant sewage flow from G South and G North wards.
Any damage to this infrastructure, especially during periods of heavy rainfall, could disrupt upstream sewer networks and lead to flooding in areas such as Shivaji Park, Dadar, Prabhadevi, Lower Parel, Delisle Road, Worli and Saat Rasta.
Civic officials maintained that approvals were granted despite the land being reserved for public utilities. “The approval of transit camps on a reserved plot that is to be handed over to BMC is completely illegal,” Joshi said, adding that the SRA’s direction to the project architect to seek a no-objection certificate from the BMC was itself unlawful. The BMC has attached the property register card to its correspondence to establish its ownership of the land.
Meanwhile, the SRA informed the BMC that it has initiated the process of revoking the approvals issued for the transit camp construction. Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for Lokhandwala DB Realty LLP (now renamed Valor Estate) said, “The temporary transit camp structures are permitted in-situ on the reserved land as per the provisions of Clause 4 of Reg. 33(10) of Development Control & Promotion Regulations, 2034 (DCPR-2034)… The spokesperson added that BMC’s assertions in the matter “are inconsistent with the law and the approvals granted so far.”
Source: The Times of India
