The Supreme Court last week ordered a stay on the Bombay High Court's order which had prevented the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation from shifting people living near the Tansa pipeline to Mahul. With no hurdles in the way, the civic body is now waiting to resume demolition of 6,000-odd tenements here and provide an alternative accommodation at Mahul which has been recognised as a polluted area by various agencies.

The HC order pronounced in April had stated that the BMC couldn't force the project affected people (PAP) to shift to Mahul. It had directed the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 15,000 as monthly rent as well as Rs 45,000 as deposit to the families who did not want to move to Mahul and look for rental accommodation elsewhere instead. This order had prevented the BMC from continuing the demolition as the cumulative cost of providing compensation was too high. The BMC and the state government challenged this order in the SC and will now clear the tenements from Tansa pipeline in K East, L and F North wards.