After years of complaints, the BMC razed the illegal structures; civic body officials say 25 permanent rooms and pool were built on state land
A BMC contracted bulldozer razes all illegal structures part of the Sun Beach Resort on Thursday. PICS/BMC
The illegal structures of the sea-facing Sun Beach Resort at Gorai in Borivli were razed to ground level by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday. In 2022, mid-day had reported that the resort was involved in major violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms by constructing unauthorised rooms, a swimming pool, a shed, and nearly 20 wooden shacks, while also allegedly encroaching upon a nearby government plot.
Following the report, the resort owner was served a notice by the BMC, which was challenged in the city civil court and the Bombay High Court. In 2023, the court ordered the demolition of the resort on the grounds that it was built in blatant violation of Development Control Regulations (DCR) and environmental norms.
Despite the court order, the resort owner made multiple attempts to regularise the structure. However, consistent complaints and follow-ups by social activist Chandrakant Gupta, former corporator and local BJP leader Shiva Shetty, along with relentless efforts by Borivli MLA Sanjay Udapdhyay to reclaim the encroached government land, finally yielded results. The resort was pulled down on July 24.
Speaking to mid-day, local BJP MLA Sanjay Udapdhyay said, “From day one, my policy has been clear, no encroachment on government land will be tolerated. In this case, a large parcel of government land had been encroached upon. Moreover, the resort was built in stark violation of CRZ norms. I followed up with government agencies, the BMC, police, and the collector, and ensured that the illegal structures were demolished.”
The Collector’s office conducted an inspection and issued a notice to the Sun Beach Resort owner. In its order, the administration categorically stated that the seating arrangement along the seafront, the swimming pool, and nearly 20 to 25 air-conditioned permanent rooms were built on land belonging to the state government. In fact, the BMC, in its notice, had cited unauthorised constructions including rooms on the ground floor with an additional floor above, a security cabin, open sheds near the swimming pool, a banquet area, seven wooden shacks (G+1), and 12 wooden shacks on the ground level.
“This has all been possible due to the efforts of the sitting BJP MLA, the BMC administration, and Senior Inspector Mahesh Nivatkar, deployed sufficient manpower to carry out the demolition drive — something that was lacking earlier,” said one of the complainants. Meanwhile, resort owner Abdul Hamid Maphkhan Shah claimed that he himself had called for the demolition.
“For me, my reputation and mental peace are a priority. Over the last few months, the litigation involving the resort has given me a bad name. Tired of defending myself against allegations and false narratives, I asked the BMC authorities to remove everything that they felt was not as per the norms,” Shah told mid-day.When asked what he plans to do next, Shah said, “As of now, I have not decided anything.”
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