Mumbai: Central Railway (CR) is set to face a financial burden of Rs 4.2 crore towards ex gratia assistance to 3,500 hutment dwellers facing eviction from railway land along the Kurla-Trombay siding, following a Bombay high court order directing the removal of unauthorised structures from the railway safety zone.The proposal, which is awaiting formal approval, provides Rs 2,000 a month for each hutment dweller for six months. This amounts to Rs 12,000 per beneficiary and a total outgo of Rs 4.2 crore if all 3,500 occupants are covered.In its final order dated Oct 7, in a writ petition of 2023, the HC directed that eviction notices be displayed at the site within a week, giving the encroachers one month to vacate. Notices were displayed on Friday in compliance with the order. The court also permitted CR to initiate action to remove the structures with police assistance if occupants failed to vacate within the stipulated period.The case arose from a petition filed by seven residents of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Kurla East challenging eviction notices issued in 2022 under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act. They secured an interim stay on demolition in Jan 2023.The HC directed Mumbai Suburban Collector to record occupant details and assess eligibility for residential rehabilitation before eviction and demolition. In consultation with the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, the collector must try to rehabilitate eligible occupants under existing schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, within six months.Residents facing displacement have expressed concern over the impact on families, particularly children attending schools in the vicinity. “We have been staying here for decades, and this sudden displacement will lead to huge losses. Many school-going children are going to suffer. Relocating at short notice will disrupt their education and affect their families,” said resident Riyaz Khan.However, residents’ associations have backed the removal of the structures, citing the potential danger to people living near railway tracks used by goods trains carrying hazardous consignments.“Any fire incident, whether due to a short circuit or a gas cylinder blast in the slum, while a goods train loaded with inflammable or explosive material is passing could have catastrophic consequences. It will endanger the lives of thousands of people in the surrounding area,” said Abhijeet Kulkarni, president of the Jaago Nehru Nagar Residents Association. “We are not against rehabilitation, but these slums need to go,” he added.FACT BOX | Kurla-Trombay railway siding2013: Nehru Nagar police station alerted Central Railway’s general manager to the safety risks posed by encroachments along the tracksOct 7, 2026: Bombay High Court passes its final order directing eviction of unauthorised occupants from the railway safety zone30 days: Time given to encroachers to vacate after the eviction notice3,500 hutments: Structures facing eviction along the Kurla-Trombay railway siding₹4.2 crore: Ex gratia assistance proposed for the 3,500 hutment dwellers, subject to formal approval₹2,000 per month: Proposed assistance per beneficiary for six months, totalling ₹12,000 each10 kmph or less: Speed at which goods trains are reportedly required to move through the narrow corridor due to encroachments150–200 buildings: Residential buildings in Nehru Nagar, Shivshrusti, Qureshi Nagar, Kasaiwada and Chunabhatti that residents say could be at risk in a major fire or accidentHazardous cargo: The single-line goods corridor carries LPG, crude oil, chemicals and other dangerous materials to and from refineries and power plants, including HPCL, BPCL and Tata Power
