Over 650 families from Jai Bhim Nagar, Powai, displaced by BMC’s demolition last year, now face eviction from footpath shelters after the Bombay High Court ordered their removal by August 18. Residents say they’ve lived here for decades and accuse civic authorities of injustice, while volunteers run a ‘Sabki Library’ for their children.
Makeshift footpath shelters set up by Jai Bhim Nagar residents last year. Pics/By Special Arrangement
More than 650 families from Jai Bhim Nagar, Powai, rendered homeless after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished their homes in June last year, are once again staring at eviction. This time, it’s from the public footpath where over 100 families have set up makeshift shelters in protest against the demolition.
On July 21 this year, the Bombay High Court ordered civic officials to clear the encampments by August 18, following a petition by residents of nearby high-rises Tivoli and Evita, who demanded the footpath be cleared for public use.
The families, many of whom have lived in Bhim Nagar for more than three decades, say last year’s demolition came without notice. Since then, several have continued to live at the same spot, this time under tarpaulins and temporary tents, as a mark of protest. Others, particularly migrant workers, left for their hometowns in desperation.
“Our community members have been arrested by the police. Everyone is anxious and afraid,” said Shobha Pawar, who lives on the footpath with her three daughters and a son. “Our children go to nearby public schools. We were living peacefully for 15–30 years. Then suddenly, BMC came and demolished our homes during the monsoon. Now the court says even our footpath shelters must go. Where should we go?”
Makeshift shelters on the Powai footpath, set up by Jai Bhim Nagar residents as a protest against last year’s demolition.
Meena Nimbale, another resident, added: “We know footpaths are for pedestrians, but this is our protest against injustice. Is this city only for the rich? The women who clean the homes and wash the utensils of those living in the tall buildings are from here. Do we not have the right to safe living?”
The high court’s directive came after petitioners cited obstruction of public movement, hygiene concerns, and safety hazards caused by the prolonged footpath occupation. The court said individual hardship must be balanced with public interest.
Meanwhile, students and youth who have been part of Jai Bhim Nagar’s struggle for over two months had, last year, launched a new initiative, setting up Sabki Library to teach the children of these displaced families.
“The library is set up on a footpath, and we fear it will also be demolished. We are simply trying to educate these children and prepare them to face the world. It’s a space for them to learn and broaden their academic and cultural horizons. It is also an attempt to create an inclusive space for everyone at a time when most institutions are becoming increasingly restrictive towards the working class. The deteriorating state of public education and the commodification of learning have left no space that is truly accessible to all.
Similarly, Hiranandani has illegally taken over land meant for the poor and built gated residential complexes exclusively for the upper class. When these residents, living in the comfort of the Hiranandani complexes, spoke out against violence towards women in the country, our brave women of Jai Bhim Nagar tried to expose another side of the violence they have endured for the past year. In response, the same upper-class residents declared that this place is not for everyone, as if implying that the right to a home is not for everyone,” said Huma Namal, research scholar and volunteer at Sabki Library.
Due to the Independence Day public holiday, officials were unavailable for comment.
Aug 18
Deadline set Bombay HC to clear footpath
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