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Drive to demolish unauthorised bungalows begins in Maharashtra’s Pimpri Chinchwad
The unprecedented move in the industrial town near Pune, often in the news for unauthorised constructions, began around 5.30am under heavy police protection
Authorities in Maharashtra’s Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune on Saturday launched a drive to demolish 36 unauthorised bungalows built within the blue flood line zone of the Indrayani River in Chikhali as per the Supreme Court directions.
The unprecedented move in the industrial town, often in the news for unauthorised constructions, began against the river-facing bungalows around 5.30am under heavy police protection.
Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) deployed 10 earth movers to carry out the operation despite resistance from local ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
The Supreme Court on May 5 upheld a National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruling for the demolitions. It dismissed a developer’s appeal seeking a stay on them. The bungalow owners unsuccessfully tried to get an interim stay from the Bombay high court on Friday.
PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh said the demolitions are in line with the Supreme Court’s orders. “The work [demolitions ] is being carried out before the onset of the monsoon under norms that prohibit such action during the rainy season starting June 1.”
Advocates Yogendra Kumar and Arun Longani, who represented the homeowners, said the high court allowed an urgent hearing but did not grant an interim stay. “Our writ petition is still pending and is scheduled to be heard on June 9,” said Kumar.
The lawyers argued that the land transactions were legally executed, and the dispute centered on the legality of the construction.
The residents submitted undertakings to PCMC, saying they would either demolish the structures themselves or vacate the premises and hand over the keys if a fresh flood line mapping confirmed the illegality. The bungalows were constructed from the late 1990s to 2020.
In July 2024, the NGT directed the PCMC to raze the bungalows and other unauthorised constructions in the flood line area within six months. It ordered the recovery of ₹5 crore from property owners as environmental compensation. The Supreme Court stayed the NGT order but later upheld it.
The residents maintained that the developer had misled them, claiming the plots were in a residential zone. “The corporation gave us water and electricity connections. If the construction was illegal, they should have acted at the time of construction. We have invested our life savings here,” said one of the bungalow owners.
