Western Railway, civic authorities demolish 45 encroachments in Bandra East area of Mumbai

The demolition drive was conducted on Thursday. Pic/Sameer Abedi

In a move to remove illegal encroachments and ensure the smooth functioning of the railways, a major demolition drive was carried out by Western Railway and civic authorities on Thursday in Bandra East area of suburban Mumbai, the officials said.

The demolition drive, spanning from the ROB (Road Over Bridge) to L.C Gate 18, was executed to clear unauthorised structures from a stretch of the railway corridor, the officials said.

They said that a total of 45 unauthorised encroachments were removed during the demolition drive, aiming to free up the area for a more efficient railway operations.

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The demolished encroachments had been allegedly affecting the proper functioning of the railway lines, posing risks to both infrastructure and commuter safety, said an official.

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The demolition drive involved a large team of personnel and machinery to ensure the removal of these encroachments.

Heavy police presence was witnessed during the demolition drive that was undertaken for several hours on Thursday.

The officials said that the police officials from Nirmal Nagar police station, Government Railway Police (GRP) officials and Railway Police Force (RPF) officials along with other railway officials were present during the entire drive.

The workforce included a significant number of railway, civic staff and police officials, who worked in coordination to oversee the demolition operation, the officials said.

The operation was further supported by heavy machinery, including two JCBs for demolition and a truck for transporting debris. The collaboration between Western Railway personnel, the RPF, GRP, and local Nirmal Nagar police ensured that the demolition was carried out efficiently without any untoward incidents, they said.

In a similar drive in Bandra East in August last year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had carried out a demolition drive to clear a pathway for auto-rickshaws outside Bandra East railway station.

The structures were narrowing the pathway, making it difficult for vehicles to pass, the officials had earlier stated.

They had said that the structures that were bulldozed were relatively new, allegedly erected only two to three months ago.

Several unauthorised encroachments were removed during the demolition drive then and the aim was to free up the area for smooth traffic operations and hurdel-free pedestrian movement.