Home / Environment / Bombay High Court Demands Urgent Action on SGNP Slum Rehab
Bombay High Court Demands Urgent Action on SGNP Slum Rehab
12 Nov
Summary
- Bombay High Court criticizes Maharashtra govt for delays in relocating SGNP slum dwellers
- Court orders state to identify 3 land parcels of 90 acres each outside green zones
- Ongoing issue for over 2 decades despite repeated court orders
In a scathing rebuke, the Bombay High Court has criticized the Maharashtra government for its prolonged inaction in rehabilitating slum dwellers living within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). The court, in a hearing on November 10, 2025, has directed the state to identify three land parcels of 90 acres each, ensuring that none of them fall within the SGNP or the Aarey Colony area.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad, expressed displeasure over the state's failure to relocate the slum dwellers from the green zone, despite repeated court orders over the last two decades. The court has now given the state government two weeks to file affidavits identifying the suitable land parcels outside the protected areas.
During the hearing, the Maharashtra Advocate General, Dr. Birendra Saraf, informed the court that land near the SGNP was available for rehabilitation but could not be used due to green zone protection regulations. However, the bench questioned the state's claim, asking why it only had 46 acres and not the required 90 acres.
The court's directive comes in response to a contempt petition filed in 2023 by the Samyak Janhit Seva Sanstha, which accused the state of failing to comply with multiple court orders issued since 1997 in a 1995 writ petition seeking protection and preservation of the 104-sq-km national park.
