Bombay HC allows Railways to clear 3,700 shanties along Kurla-Trombay rail line

The Bombay High Court has permitted the Central Railway administration to remove encroachments along the Kurla-Trombay railway line. The court has allowed the Railways to clear more than 3,700 unauthorised huts and encroachments. The decision came in view of the safety of Mumbai's commuters, the Railways' planned expansion and growing risks. The Railways has begun preparing to serve fresh eviction notices on the residents concerned this week.

The Kurla-Trombay line is used mainly for goods trains. Tankers carrying petroleum products and inflammable chemicals move along this route. The huts built close to the railway track and high-voltage power lines had raised fears of a major accident. A few days ago, a heavy crane fell on huts in the Qureshi Nagar area of Kurla, which brought the question of safety to the fore.

The Railways also urgently needs about 9,000 square metres of its land to lay the fifth and sixth railway lines between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla.

Some residents of Kurla East had filed a petition in the High Court. The court dismissed the petition and gave the Railways strict directions. According to the hearing, the hut dwellers have been given a fresh 30-day notice to vacate. It has been made clear that if the land is not vacated within this period, firm action will follow with police arrangements.

Taking a humane view, the court has also laid down some important conditions for the rehabilitation of the affected families.

The first is financial help. Each affected family will receive an interim ex gratia payment of Rs 2,000 a month for the next six months. The Railways and the state government may share the cost.

The second is identification. Before the action, the papers and details of all hut dwellers in the area and their families will be recorded through the Mumbai Suburban district collector.

The third is alternative housing. The collector and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) must consider, within six months, options for giving eligible hut dwellers homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or other government schemes. The court has also made it clear that displaced people cannot claim the right to a permanent house at the same site.

Local residents and resident associations have welcomed the decision. They say the action is extremely necessary from the safety point of view. The Railways' firm action will open the way for railway and industrial development in the eastern suburbs.