Mithibai khau galli loses its flavour as BMC razes stalls

Mithibai khau galli, a beloved food stall hub in Vile Parle, has been demolished for the Metro 2B project, ending a 50-year culinary landmark.

 The famous Mithibai khau galli -- a culinary landmark of Gulmohar Road, Vile Parle-- which took its name for its proximity to Mithibai College, has faded into history after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the last of its 10 stalls last week.

iiMumbai, India - May 19, 2026: Food stalls operating for over 40 years outside Mithibai College in Vile Parle West were removed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation during an anti-encroachment drive in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The nearly 50-year-old lane that housed food stalls now stands vacant to make way for the upcoming Metro Line 2B station, part of the corridor which will link D N Nagar, in Andheri West, to Mandale in Mankhurd. Earlier, a joint survey by BMC and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) found that the stalls stood within the alignment of the new Metro station.

Court backs demolitions

Vendors were first served eviction notices by the BMC on November 14, 2025, directing them to dismantle their stalls within seven days or face demolition. However, the civic body’s move was stalled as vendors had moved court to protect their structures. The demolitions which subsequently began on March 6, concluded on May 6, with the spot being cleared of the debris last week. The last sequence of demolitions were executed after the Bombay High Court (HC) rejected the petition of a vendor Taranath Shetty on April 2, 2026.

Chakrapani Alle, assistant commissioner of K West ward, said, “The stalls had defied HC directions to stay away from a distance of 100 metres from educational institutions. In addition, they were violating all norms relating to stalls allotted to hawkers. The construction of the Metro 2B station in the area strengthened our case.”

In petitions filed by Janhit Manch and Shri Vile Parle Kelvani Mandal (SVKM), HC had ruled in 2015 that vendors cooking food on public roads and footpaths -- such as those at the Mithibai College khau galli -- could not claim protection under the Street Vendors Act. In its notices, BMC had cited a 2013 Supreme Court ruling prohibiting hawking within 100 metres of educational institutions and hospitals. Since Gulmohar Road falls within the restricted zone of Cooper Hospital and the SVKM educational complex, officials maintained that the stalls violated the order. The corporation also stated that the vendors lacked licences mandated under Section 313 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1888.

Later, HC, while hearing interim applications challenging BMC’s directive to relocate the stalls on April 2, observed that a major public infrastructure project could not be obstructed by a handful of private applicants. The court noted delays by the vendors in seeking relief and recorded that they had rejected all 27 alternative sites proposed by the corporation.

Emphasising the significance of the Metro project, the court directed the vendors to vacate within 10 days and recorded their undertaking to remove the stalls by April 12, 2026. It further ruled that in case of non-compliance, the BMC could demolish the structures on April 13, take possession of the land and hand it over to the MMRDA with police assistance if required.

Food for thought

Looking at the vacant plot, Anand Nainar, owner of Anand Vada Pav, a popular go-to stall for street food, said, “I have another stall 500 metres away from here. I invented cheese butter street food in excess and introduced butter vada pav, Schezwan cheese vada pav and fusion Frankies. I even won the Food Guide awards for my street food. I have now moved HC to relocate to a nearby spot, as we had regular patrons.”

Advocate Manoj Kumar Pandey, whose father Ram Lauten Pandey owned the Ice ‘n’ Rolls stall, reminisced: “My father has ownership papers dating back to 1962. The 27 locations identified by the BMC as an option for us were not suitable for business and hence we rejected them. We do not understand why two Metro stations must be constructed at a distance of 200 meters.”

Former student and regular patron of the galli, Dhaval Shah, who is now a businessman, described the lane as a social and culinary hub for thousands of students. “I went there; now my daughter also visits the spot as she is a student of Jamnabai Narsee School. The stalls served tasty food, especially the butter vada pav and butter samosa pav. Now, students will have to rely on college canteens and home cooked meals. Anand and Shetty will be missed.”

Another patron, Hitesh Parekh, recalled the street’s popularity despite the stalls being on the road. “People didn’t shy away from eating from this street. We used to come here late at night to drink tea,” he said, “as the food was considered hygienic by regulars.”

It is the end of an era for residents in the vicinity too. Nidhi Ringshia, who lives in a bungalow facing Jamnabai Narsee School, said, “Our non-Mumbai guests who visited us would demand the dosas, vada pav and sandwiches from the stalls. People are already missing the flavours.”