21 August,2026 09:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The civic administration said 19 more structures affected by the project will be removed soon. Representational Pic
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday removed 28 structures that were obstructing road widening work between the eastern side of the Vikhroli (East-West) Flyover and the Mahatma Gandhi Marg Junction (MG Road Junction).
The action was carried out by the civic body's N Ward as part of the ongoing road widening project between Rajawadi Road No. 7 and Mahatma Gandhi Marg Junction.
According to the BMC, the structures were affected by the proposed road widening and were therefore removed on Friday.
The civic administration said 19 more structures affected by the project will be removed soon.
Officials and staff from various departments under the N Ward administration carried out the demolition using heavy machinery.
Meanwhile, Bandra's Hill Road could see its hawker and encroachment problem cleared within 15 days, with the BMC's H West ward identifying footpath encroachments and societies allowing hawkers to operate from their premises for action.
The assurance came after Assistant Commissioner Dinesh Pallewad inspected the stretch on Wednesday, a day after ALM 74 chairman Rohinton Polishwala wrote to the municipal commissioner seeking action against alleged illegal hawking and encroachments.
Hill Road has long been a major shopping stretch, attracting large crowds and vendors. Residents living along the road and in adjoining lanes, however, say the scale of hawking has made the area increasingly difficult to navigate.
Assistant Commissioner Dinesh Pallewad, replying to mid-day's query, said, "Today [Wednesday] we inspected the site, and have identified those who need to be served notice for encroachment of the footpath, and even societies which are allowing the hawkers to set up shop in their premises will be sent notices. In the coming 15 days, we will remove the encroachment from the area."
Rohinton Polishwala, chairman, ALM 74, said residents had repeatedly raised the issue with BMC. "For years now, I have been speaking up against this, and have had fights with the hawkers at Hill Road. Recently, the hawkers have even started to move into buildings and have set up shops in some of their parking areas or by the gates." Polishwala said the BMC had earlier told residents that action would be taken against buildings allowing shops to operate on their premises, but claimed there had been no visible change.
