Supreme Court pressure leads BMC to clear illegal shops in Borivali

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation cleared 27 commercial structures from a plot in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The land is located on Swami Vivekanand Road in Borivali East and is reserved for a bus station.

Operation Details

The civic body took action on a 3,400-square-metre plot set aside for a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport bus station under Town Planning Scheme-II. The R-Central ward carried out the operation using 70 workers and employees. Police personnel were also deployed to maintain security during the drive.

Legal Action

The operation came a day after a three-judge Supreme Court bench issued a contempt notice to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide for failing to clear encroachments from the land. The apex court ordered a freeze on her November salary and the pay of other concerned civic officials. The court also rejected the civic body's request for 30 more days to follow its earlier directions and imposed costs of ₹5 lakh.

Context

The plot has been involved in a long legal dispute between the BMC and a private developer. In August 2025, the Supreme Court ordered the developer to hand over the land free of encroachments along with an administrative building to the civic corporation.