18 October,2026 08:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar Menon
Representation pic
Encroachment is the unwanted gift that keeps on giving. Every few years, the authorities will clear out squatters - commercial and individual - who have taken over government land, only for them to return once things have quieted down. This time, the Maharashtra government has taken a more creative approach - literally.
This month, approximately 14 acres of state government land to the left of the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road, where illegal shanties and commercial outlets were cleared in June, have been allotted to the Cultural Affairs Department for outdoor film shooting. The department will then hand it over to the Film City. So land that was once a magnet for encroachment could very soon become a hub for Bollywood shoots.
Pics/Special Arrangement, iStock
This move is part of a wider exercise by the Mumbai Suburban administration to identify, recover, and reallot government land. Interestingly, the state had reclaimed another 11-acre encroached land parcel in Mankhurd in April, removing more than 1200 illegal shanties and structures. The land was subsequently handed over to the Mumbai Central Prison administration for a new prison.
In total, the exercise covers around 100 acres of encroached state government land across the eastern and western suburbs. A senior official estimated that the combined parcels have a market value of more than Rs 3000 crore. This is, however, not an official valuation. The exercise aims not merely to remove unauthorised occupations, but also ensure that government land is protected and put to legitimate use, thereby reducing the possibility of fresh encroachment.
An October 1 government order, issued by the Revenue Department, has sanctioned approximately 56,656 sq m (14 acres) at Mauje Mankhurd, Taluka Kurla, to the Department of Cultural Affairs for outdoor shooting. An official said, "The land parcel had been encroached upon by unauthorised shanties, garages and other structures, which were subsequently removed amid heavy police deployment."
Saurabh Katiyar, Suburban Collector
The said land parcel has been allotted under Section 40 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966. "The allotment is on revenue-free and occupancy-price-free occupancy rights, subject to several conditions. The land will remain Class-II occupancy and has to be used strictly for the approved purpose. The Cultural Affairs Department will also be responsible for protecting the property from encroachment," the officer said.
The GR lays down several conditions for the allotment. The land must be developed in accordance with permissions from the competent planning authority and other government agencies, while construction must commence within three years of possession.
If the land is transferred to the Film City, the prescribed occupancy-rights amount will have to be paid to the Revenue Department. The land cannot be transferred to any other institution or individual without prior permission.
On September 10, in another anti-encroachment drive at Mankhurd, the Mumbai Suburban district officials demolished 57 unauthorised commercial units on nearly six acres of government land along the Sion-Panvel Highway in Mankhurd. The parcel is estimated to be worth around R250 crore.
The land had been allotted to the Children's Aid Society in 1939. Revenue proceedings found that portions had allegedly been sub-leased and developed without the required approvals. The administration demolished the units. The action marks the latest step in a decades-long dispute. The Children's Aid Society has renewed its request for the property, which the government is considering, while officials work to prevent further encroachment on the cleared land.
Officials said other parcels in the Mankhurd belt are also being examined for public use, including land requirements connected with the prison department and other government agencies. A parcel of around four acres lying below high-tension transmission lines is also being examined. Since conventional construction may not be possible there, options such as an open gym or garden are being considered, although no final decision has been taken.
The anti-encroachment exercise also covers the Malad-Malwani belt. According to the official, the administration has already acquired around 20 acres of land in Malwani in the exercise. The administration is examining additional government land pockets in the western suburbs as well as the Mankhurd-to-eastern suburbs belt.
The administration is using satellite imagery to establish the extent and age of occupation on government land. Officials are comparing older imagery from January 1, 2011, (for residential occupation) and January 1, 2000 (commercial)with satellite images from 2025, to determine how structures have expanded over the years. The exercise is intended to help distinguish eligible older structures from subsequent encroachments.Survey teams are also being deployed across suburbs. Each parcel requires a separate survey and verification that takes two to three months.
Padmakar Rokade, Additional District Collector (anti-encroachment), Eastern Suburbs
"We are using satellite imagery, including recent 2025 images, along with field surveys to identify encroachments and track how structures have expanded over time. Our broader exercise covers nearly 100 acres across the eastern and western suburbs. The objective is not merely to remove encroachments, but to ensure that recovered land is protected and put to authorised public use. At Mankhurd, the 14-acre parcel allotted for outdoor shooting is one such example."
100 acres
Total encroached government land under scrutiny across eastern and western suburbs
