Drive to remove illegal structures at Garib Nagar complete, fencing work underway: Western Rly

Western Railway completed a five-day demolition drive at Garib Nagar near Bandra station, retaining ground floors of 100 structures as per court orders.

Western Railway on Saturday said the drive undertaken to raze unauthorised structures at Garib Nagar near Bandra station was completed on the fifth day as planned.

WR Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek said the upper floors of some of the 100-odd structures, the ground floors of which the Bombay High Court had asked the railways to retain, were demolished on the fifth and last day of the demolition drive.

''The Bombay High Court had directed the authorities not to demolish 100 structures completely. Accordingly, the ground floors of those structures have been retained, while the upper floors have been demolished,'' he said.

Debris removal work is being carried out simultaneously, and fencing and barricading work has also been undertaken in the area cleared during the five-day demolition drive, the CPRO said.

By Friday, the railway authorities had demolished nearly all of the approximately 500 unauthorised structures, except for the upper floors of some of the 100 structures during the drive which began on May 19.

He said around 1,200 personnel, including security staff, were deployed since the first day of the demolition drive.

The drive was peaceful, except on Wednesday, when there were incidents of stone-pelting triggered by the demolition of a place of worship, leaving 10 persons, including policemen, injured.