‘We made this place liveable’: Eviction-hit Garib Nagar residents in Mumbai speak out after demolition

Bulldozers rolled into Bandrarsquos Garib Nagar early Tuesday as railway authorities civic officials and Mumbai Police personnel carried out one of the largest eviction operations in the area in recent years The action is part of a wider railway land clearance and redevelopment push linked to future infrastructure and commercial projects planned by the Rail Land Development AuthorityWhile officials maintain the drive is aimed at removing unauthorised structures affecting railway safety and infrastructure residents insist the issue is no longer just about encroachments but about rehabilitation legitimacy and survivallsquoWhy were we given electricityrsquoAs demolition teams continued operations residents repeatedly pointed to electricity meters water connections and official address documents as evidence that authorities had recognised the settlement for yearsldquoIf this place was illegal then why were we given electricity connections less than a year ago Why were we given water supply and government documents carrying our addressesrdquo questioned Bannu Abdul Hamid Sheikh 55Bannu and AaliyaShe also claimed railway authorities had earlier permitted them to reside there and facilitated utility access over timeMany alleged that some households had recently received electricity meters while others were still awaiting promised connections when demolition notices suddenly arrivedldquoThis is absolutely wrong they cannot just wake up after years and take everything without proper prior noticerdquo said Mohammed Shafi Sheikh 62 adding ldquoKids are all over the place and being injured by debris while the elderly have nowhere to sit in this scorching heat What will we do during the monsoonrdquo he addedlsquoWe made this place liveablersquoSeveral families said the settlement was once marshland and dumping ground transformed through years of labour by the people now facing evictionThis used to be jungle gobar and daldal said another resident NaazmaldquoWe worked hard to make it liveable Now that the land has value they are removing usrdquo Bannu Abdul Hamid Sheikh addedFor many Garib Nagar is not temporary shelter but a place where generations have grown upldquoI was born here got married here and had children here Now suddenly we are being called Bangladeshisrdquo said Aaliya Sheikh 55 another resident of Garib NagarThey also accused BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya of targeting the locality through repeated visits and making allegations about them being Bangladeshis 700 pictwittercomys2ruJ2XJ0mdash Kirit Somaiya KiritSomaiya May 19 2026That Somaiya came here and everything changed for us said BannuRental crisis adds to panicBeyond the demolition itself residents say the immediate challenge is finding affordable housing in Mumbais expensive rental marketWe barely earn enough to survive How can the poor suddenly arrange Rs 1lakh deposit and rent worth Rs 25000 rent questioned 34yearold Farzana KhanSeveral families claimed they were informed about the demolition barely a week in advance leaving little time to shift belongings or secure accommodationAs evening approached many said they planned to remain near the demolished structures themselvesWe will sit here only At night we will tie cloth sheets and stay under them Where else can we go with our little kids said Shehnaaz SheikhThe night we got hope my husband diedStanding amid debris and packed belongings Naazparmin Javed Khureshi claimed that her family had once been promised rehabilitationldquoTwo years ago when 62 houses were approved one of them was in my husbandrsquos name That night he went to sleep at 2 am after hearing the news When I checked on him at 4 am he had died of a heart attack as he was overwhelmed with happiness that we were finally going to get a houserdquo she revealedNaazparmin KhureshirightAccording to Naazparmin despite the approval and repeated surveys by civic authorities over the years the promised house never materialisedAround her families scrambled to salvage utensils mattresses and documents as demolition teams continued operations in the localityEven protected residents remain fearfulAuthorities have reportedly identified around 140 structures eligible for rehabilitation protectionHowever uncertainty persists even among those residentsFamilies claim electricity supply has been disconnected in several protected structures as well creating fears that further demolitions could destabilise the entire localityProtected against demolition but no electricityIf neighbouring houses are demolished our homes will also get damaged one resident said adding Without electricity and basic services how do we live here Moreover there is no guarantee till when we will get our promised housesDid Supreme Court issue a stay orderTension escalated further after residents claimed that a Supreme Court stay order had been issued around noon during the demolition processAccording to locals some residents showed digital copies of the alleged order to officials on siteHowever they claimed authorities demanded original documents before halting any actionDespite the claims demolition activity reportedly continued in parts of the localityGive us another place first then we will demolish our houses ourselvesAmid the chaos residents insist they are not resisting redevelopment itself but are demanding clarity and rehabilitation before evictionEven if you want to demolish our homes first give us another place Naazma said If we get homes we ourselves will break these houses and leave