Mumbai Coastal Road Crackdown: BMC Demolishes 169 Illegal Structures in Massive Worli Operation Worth ₹100+ Crore
In a massive demolition drive near the Mumbai Coastal Road project in Worli, the BMC removed 169 illegal structures worth over ₹100 crore
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday said that it conducted a massive demolition drive near Mumbai Coastal Road in Worli and removed 169 illegal structures.
An official statement said that the Mumbai civic body carried out a major demolition drive in Madraswadi in Worli to demolish illegal structures built along Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Road, near the Dharamveer Swarajya Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road Project also known as the Mumbai Coastal Road.
The action was taken by the G (South) ward of the BMC as part of its ongoing campaign to clear encroachments and ensure compliance with urban regulations.
“These structures were also identified as a major cause of waterlogging during monsoons,” the BMC said.
It said that the demolition was conducted under the instructions of Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, and under the guidance of Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi.
The operation was led by Deputy Commissioner (Zone 2) Prashant Sapkale and Assistant Municipal Commissioner of G (South) Ward, Swapnaja Kshirsagar, the official statement said.
It said that a team of 35 workers, along with the necessary machinery and equipment, carried out the demolition. Security and law-and-order arrangements were provided by Worli Police Station.
The BMC has made it clear that action against illegal structures and encroachments will continue across the city in a systematic and sustained manner, the officials said.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, the BMC had said that it opened two advanced modular bio toilets on the 5.5 km-long promenade of coastal road for citizens’ convenience.
After the promenade was inaugurated and opened on August 15, the Mumbai civic body had received several requests from citizens to make toilet facilities available on the promenade.
The first bio toilet has been installed near the parking lot opposite Worli Dairy, which is also near the pedestrian underpass. The second facility has been installed at the pedestrian underpass at Bindu Madhavi Thackeray junction.
Each toilet block has two toilet seats for women (one in the Indian arrangement and another in the western arrangement), one each for men, children, and persons with disabilities. The toilets also have sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators.
Bio toilets have tanks that process biological waste and do not need laying of sewer lines. The two toilet blocks have one biodigestor tank each, with a capacity of 3,500 litres.
In a major crackdown on illegal encroachments, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday launched a large-scale demolition drive near the ongoing Mumbai Coastal Road project in Worli. The civic body successfully cleared 169 unauthorized structures, marking one of the biggest anti-encroachment operations in recent months.
According to BMC officials, the drive was part of an ongoing effort to remove illegal settlements obstructing the expansion of the ambitious Mumbai Coastal Road — a ₹13,000-crore project aimed at easing the city’s traffic congestion and improving connectivity between South Mumbai and the western suburbs.
The demolition drive began early in the morning and continued for several hours, involving a large contingent of civic staff, engineers, and Mumbai Police personnel. Heavy machinery such as JCBs and bulldozers were deployed to bring down unauthorized shanties, makeshift stalls, and semi-permanent structures that had encroached upon civic and project land.
Officials said that notices had already been issued to occupants prior to the operation, giving them time to vacate. “We had served eviction notices well in advance. The encroachments were obstructing the Coastal Road alignment and service roads, making the demolition necessary for public infrastructure,” a senior BMC official stated.
The drive reportedly covered areas around the Worli Seaface, Haji Ali junction, and adjoining lanes connecting to the Coastal Road site. By the end of the day, 169 illegal structures had been razed to the ground, freeing up significant land for project development.
The Mumbai Coastal Road project, stretching over 10.58 km between Princess Street Flyover in Marine Lines and the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, is one of Mumbai’s most significant infrastructure ventures. Once completed, it is expected to reduce travel time between south and north Mumbai by up to 70%, providing a faster and more efficient route for daily commuters.
The BMC, which is spearheading the project, has been intensifying its efforts to remove all forms of unauthorized occupation along the coastal corridor. Civic officials confirmed that similar anti-encroachment operations are planned in other parts of the project zone in the coming weeks.
The demolition drive was carried out amid tight security to prevent any law-and-order issues. Local police units were stationed throughout the operation to manage crowds and ensure a smooth process. While some residents expressed dissatisfaction over the sudden action, others acknowledged that the move was inevitable given the scale of the infrastructure development.
A few social activists, however, called for proper rehabilitation measures for those affected by the demolition. The BMC has assured that structures eligible for relocation under civic guidelines will be addressed accordingly.
With the clearance of these illegal structures, BMC officials said the move would accelerate construction work in the Worli segment of the Coastal Road. “Encroachment removal is a necessary step to meet the project deadlines. The reclaimed land will be used for service roads, utilities, and pedestrian zones,” an engineer from the project team said.
The civic body has emphasized that such demolition drives will continue across all Coastal Road stretches until all obstructions are cleared. The operation underscores Mumbai’s push toward cleaner, safer, and better-planned urban infrastructure.
As Mumbai races toward completing the Coastal Road by next year, the latest BMC action reflects the city’s renewed commitment to reclaiming public spaces and ensuring that development proceeds without illegal hurdles.
