The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed 27 commercial structures from a reserved bus station plot in Borivali East, a day after the Supreme Court took action against senior civic officials for failing to comply with its earlier directions.
The demolition drive was conducted on Wednesday on a 3,400-square-metre property along Swami Vivekanand Road in the western suburb. According to a BMC statement, the land has been earmarked for a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus station under Town Planning Scheme-II.
The civic body’s R-Central ward department carried out the operation with the assistance of approximately 70 workers and officials. Police personnel were also deployed to maintain law and order and ensure the smooth execution of the drive.
The action followed a strong intervention by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, when a three-judge bench issued a contempt notice to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide over the delay in clearing the encroachments. The court also directed that her November salary, along with the salaries of other officials concerned, be withheld until compliance with its orders.
Additionally, the apex court rejected the BMC’s request for another 30 days to complete the clearance and imposed a cost of ₹5 lakh on the civic body.
The Borivali property has remained at the centre of a prolonged legal dispute involving the BMC and a private developer. The matter concerns the transfer of the land, which is intended to serve as an important public transport facility for the suburb.
In August 2025, the Supreme Court had directed the developer to hand over the property to the civic corporation without any encroachments. The order also required the transfer of an administrative building located on the premises.
The latest demolition marks the BMC’s compliance with the court’s directions and clears the way for the proposed BEST bus station on the Borivali plot.
Source: NDTV
