The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation demolished 28 structures in Ghatkopar and removed shops, temporary sheds, platforms and hawkers blocking footpaths in Sewri as part of its ongoing “Pedestrian First” campaign.
The action in Ghatkopar was carried out on Wednesday between Jhunjhunwala College and the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road in Ghatkopar West. The civic body targeted structures it identified as illegal while clearing space intended for pedestrian movement.
A separate operation took place on Thursday along D G Mahajani Road and Jerbai Wadia Road in Sewri. The BMC demolished seven unauthorised shops, 15 temporary tarpaulin sheds and two unauthorised platforms during the drive.
The civic body also removed 20 hawkers obstructing footpaths in the Sewri locations. Four abandoned material storage spots were cleared as part of the same operation, according to the report.
The action was undertaken by the BMC’s F-South ward, which covers the Sewri areas included in the drive. The campaign is intended to keep footpaths accessible to pedestrians by removing encroachments and structures that occupy walking space.
The latest operation highlights the competing demands placed on Mumbai’s footpaths. These spaces are used not only for walking but are also frequently occupied by shops, hawkers, temporary shelters, construction material and other extensions from adjoining properties. Clearing them is therefore both an enforcement exercise and a basic public-space management task for the civic administration.
For residents, unobstructed footpaths can reduce the need to walk on carriageways, particularly along busy roads where pedestrians share limited road space with motorised traffic. The extent of the improvement will depend on whether the cleared stretches remain free of fresh encroachments after the demolition teams leave.
The BMC has described the operation as part of an ongoing campaign rather than a one-time clearance. Its latest actions covered two separate parts of the city and involved structures, commercial activity, temporary sheds, hawkers and abandoned storage areas.
The report did not provide details of notices issued before the demolitions, the legal status of the affected occupants, rehabilitation arrangements for hawkers or any monitoring plan for the cleared footpaths. It also did not specify the length or total area of footpath restored in Ghatkopar and Sewri. Further civic action under the “Pedestrian First” campaign will determine how consistently the cleared spaces are maintained.
