Free of encroachments, Mahim Fort to be turned into a tourist spot

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday demolished the last of the 267 slums encroaching upon the more than 800-year-old Mahim Fort since 1970, paving the way for its restoration

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday demolished the last of the 267 slums encroaching upon the more than 800-year-old Mahim Fort since 1970, paving the way for its restoration.

Free of encroachments, Mahim Fort to be turned into a tourist spot

An official from G (north) ward office said all the illegal structures had been demolished and around 3,000 residents had been rehabilitated in Malad and Kurla after holding a lottery to allot flats in a phased manner.

“Some residents, who refused to vacate the slums, were evicted on March 17 with the help of police force and cases were registered against them. The demolition began in October 2022 and ended on Monday,” the official said.

Built in 1100, the fort, a historical heritage site, was on the verge of collapse due to its crumbling nature towards seaside embankment that was surrounded by the encroachments. Now, the civic body is planning to turn the fort into a tourist destination and is likely to appoint architect Vikas Dilawari as a heritage consultant to restore it, BMC officials said.

“A detailed project report will be prepared, and tenders floated. Mahim Fort will become a tourist spot and the public will get to see it after more than 50 years. It had been 100% encroached upon since 1970,” the official, who was quoted above, said.

Two years ago, the BMC inaugurated Reti Bunder beach with an open gymnasium and a viewing tower in Mahim which is in the proximity of the fort. The fort can be accessed from the Mahim police station side and Reti Bunder beach.

Commenting on the challenges to clear the encroachments, the civic official said convincing 3,000 residents to move out was a humungous task and the process began in November 2021. “We issued eviction notices, but the residents were reluctant to vacate their houses. We prepared an annexure-2 list of eligible and ineligible people. Of the 267 structures, residents of 263 slums were qualified for rehabilitation.”

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority was also roped in, and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority finally transferred flats at Bhandari Metallurgy and Royal Finch building in Malvani to P (north) ward.