Mumbai Demolition Drive: UN Intervention Sought Over BMC’s Plan To Demolish Slums Above 14 Feet
Mumbai, September 30, 2026: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) proposed three-month demolition drive targeting slum structures exceeding 14 feet in height has escalated into an international human rights issue, with activists appealing directly to the United Nations. UN Appeal Over Demolition Drive Though political pushback makes execution unlikely, the Govandi New Sangam Welfare…
Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is facing international backlash over its plan to demolish slum structures taller than 14 feet, sparking a human rights crisis. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has received a representation from the Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society, which estimates that 39,111 households, with 31,227 in M-East Ward, could be affected by the drive scheduled from October 1 to December 31.
Society president Faiyaz Alam Shaikh argues that the forced evictions without proper evaluations violate constitutional rights and international human rights laws. The BMC, however, maintains that the move is necessary to prevent structural collapses, despite political pushback and accusations of betrayal from the ruling alliance, which previously backed a higher height threshold.
The BMC's action could render at least 1.5 lakh residents homeless, creating a dire humanitarian situation.
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