A Bollywood solution to a very Mumbai problem

Encroachment is the unwanted gift that keeps on giving Every few years the authorities will clear out squatters mdash commercial and individual mdash 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 mdash literallyThis month approximately 14 acres of state government land to the left of the GhatkoparMankhurd 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 shootsPicsSpecial Arrangement iStockThis 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 11acre 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 prisonIn 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 encroachmentNew outdoor shoot locationAn October 1 government order issued by the Revenue Department has sanctioned approximately 56656 sq m 14 acres at Mauje Mankhurd Taluka Kurla to the Department of Cultural Affairs for outdoor shooting An official said ldquoThe land parcel had been encroached upon by unauthorised shanties garages and other structures which were subsequently removed amid heavy police deploymentrdquoSaurabh Katiyar Suburban CollectorThe said land parcel has been allotted under Section 40 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code 1966 ldquoThe allotment is on revenuefree and occupancypricefree occupancy rights subject to several conditions The land will remain ClassII occupancy and has to be used strictly for the approved purpose The Cultural Affairs Department will also be responsible for protecting the property from encroachmentrdquo the officer saidThe 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 possessionIf the land is transferred to the Film City the prescribed occupancyrights amount will have to be paid to the Revenue Department The land cannot be transferred to any other institution or individual without prior permissionMankhurd Malwani under scrutinyOn September 10 in another antiencroachment drive at Mankhurd the Mumbai Suburban district officials demolished 57 unauthorised commercial units on nearly six acres of government land along the SionndashPanvel Highway in Mankhurd The parcel is estimated to be worth around R250 croreThe land had been allotted to the Childrenrsquos Aid Society in 1939 Revenue proceedings found that portions had allegedly been subleased and developed without the required approvals The administration demolished the units The action marks the latest step in a decadeslong dispute The Childrenrsquos Aid Society has renewed its request for the property which the government is considering while officials work to prevent further encroachment on the cleared landOfficials 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 hightension 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 takenThe antiencroachment exercise also covers the MaladMalwani 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 Mankhurdtoeastern suburbs beltSatellite images aid authoritiesThe 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 commercialwith 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 encroachmentsSurvey teams are also being deployed across suburbs Each parcel requires a separate survey and verification that takes two to three monthsOfficial speakPadmakar Rokade Additional District Collector antiencroachment Eastern SuburbsldquoWe 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 14acre parcel allotted for outdoor shooting is one such examplerdquo100 acresTotal encroached government land under scrutiny across eastern and western suburbs