MUMBAI: The BMC has issued a stop-work notice for a transit camp in Worli, as it has been discovered that the camp is being constructed on land reserved by the civic body for a sewage treatment plant.
Municipal officials reported that two sewer lines run through the site, and initial assessments indicate that construction has already disrupted sewage flow, raising concerns about potential flooding and infrastructure failure, especially during the monsoon season.
Additional civic chief Ashwini Joshi instructed BMC’s chief engineer (sewerage operations) to file a criminal complaint against D B Patil, a Slum Rehabilitation Authority executive engineer, for allegedly granting illegal construction permissions for seven transit camp buildings in April 2025.
In her official communications, Joshi accused Patil of colluding with Lokhandwala Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and M/s Lokhandwala DB Realty LLP, the project’s private developers.
The developer asserted that all necessary approvals had been obtained.
The transit camp buildings (1 to 7) are part of a proposed redevelopment project for slums at Jivanjyot (SRA) CHS, Shree Swami Vivekanand Nagar, Veer Jijamata Nagar, and Mata Ramabai Nagar, all located in Worli.
Patil informed TOI that the SRA had revoked permissions for the transit camp buildings’ construction and that an FIR had been filed against the developers on September 15, 2025, indicating that work commenced without authorization. He emphasized, “We will hand over the reserved plot to the BMC tomorrow.”
This situation follows a notice from the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), which warned that damage to critical sewer lines could cause flooding in significant areas of central and south Mumbai during the monsoon.
The DDMA noted that the location contains crucial and aging sewer infrastructure, including a 57-inch diameter sewer line and a 4ft 8 inches by 7ft main sewer line, which connects to the Lovegrove Sewerage Pumping Station and transports large quantities of sewage from G South and G North wards.
Damage to these lines, particularly during the rainy season, could disrupt upstream sewer networks, leading to flooding in densely populated neighborhoods such as Shivaji Park, Dadar, Prabhadevi, Lower Parel, Delisle Road, Worli, and Saat Rasta, according to the DDMA.
Officials have stated that approvals were granted despite the land being designated for public utilities and the presence of critical sewer infrastructure. Joshi remarked, “The approval of transit camps on a reserved plot meant for BMC is entirely illegal,” additionally noting that the SRA’s directive to have the architect secure a no-objection certificate from BMC was also unlawful.
The BMC has included the property register card in official documents to confirm that the land indeed belongs to them. A communication from the SRA to BMC Thursday also indicated that the slum rehabilitation authority had begun revoking the construction approval for the transit camp buildings.
A spokesperson for Lokhandwala DB Realty LLP (now Valor Estate) stated, “Temporary transit camp structures are permitted as per Clause 4 of Reg. 33(10) of Development Control & Promotion Regulations, 2034 (DCPR-2034). The SRA duly granted approval for these structures on April 11, 2025. Additionally, Clause 4.6 specifies that such structures must be demolished within 30 days of the Occupation Certificate issuance for rehabilitation buildings, restoring the site to its original state. Until the transit camps are demolished, development rights for the free sale area are capped at 75% of what is allowed under this regulation.”
The spokesperson argued that BMC’s claims contradict the law and the approvals already granted.
