A demolition drive inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park triggered tense scenes on Tuesday morning as hundreds of residents, including women and elderly people, gathered inside the protected forest area to oppose the eviction.
The protest erupted after forest authorities moved to clear structures in the Navapada area of SGNP, prompting strong resistance from families who claimed the demolished houses had been their homes for generations. Residents alleged the action violated their traditional rights and ignored safeguards provided under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). They also criticised the administration for issuing eviction notices during a holiday period, leaving them little time to respond or seek legal relief.
Forest officials said the demolition targeted families who were earlier rehabilitated at Chandivali in Powai under a government-approved resettlement scheme. According to officials, some beneficiaries allegedly sold or rented out their allotted homes and later returned to occupy forest land inside the national park, violating the terms of rehabilitation.
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park administration said the eviction was ordered by a High-Powered Committee (HPC) in line with Bombay High Court directions. In a statement, officials said that families who had already availed rehabilitation benefits and then re-encroached on forest land had misused the scheme and were being evicted as a first step toward ensuring rehabilitation for other eligible families awaiting relief for years.
“Unless those who have misused the rehabilitation scheme are evicted, other eligible families will continue to be deprived of the benefits envisaged under the court’s 1997 order,” the SGNP administration said, adding that eviction notices were displayed at relevant locations on January 17, 2026, and residents were informed to vacate voluntarily.
While tensions ran high throughout the morning, officials confirmed that no violence was reported during the protest.
