Two recently built buildings in the funnel zone in the flight path of the T2 runway at Santacruz had their third floors removed by officials on Wednesday. Prakash Machekar, a resident of Prabhat Colony in Aasha Nagar, received eviction notifications from the MMRDA on May 19. The action was completed on Wednesday. A copy of the notification, which was sent by midday, said that the structure’s floors will be removed.

“Some land parcels falling under the jurisdiction of Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (MIAL) will be acquired as part of the implementation of the MMRDA’s (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) Special Investment Region (SIR) project near the Mumbai International Airport,” the notice stated.

A demolition team came to demolish the third story two days after the Machekar family was notified. Our family’s male members are in the village. “How are we supposed to deal with a construction crew of men coming to tear down the walls when it’s just us women here?” said Pratibha Machekar.

On Wednesday, structures in the funnel zone that were next to T2’s runway were destroyed at Santacruz. Image: Nimesh Dave
On Wednesday, structures in the funnel zone that were next to T2’s runway were destroyed at Santacruz. Image: Nimesh Dave

The three-story building’s occupants thought they had adhered to all building regulations. “They informed us that some regulations were broken, but how would we know? We had faith that the contractor would follow all rules,” she said. Residents stated they were surprised when the letter was sent on May 19 and were not aware of any survey conducted by the MMRDA on April 23, 2024.

We eventually constructed our own house after years of living in knee-deep water during every monsoon. And they came and destroyed the walls and broke the locks a year later,” Pratibha recounted. The same thing happened to another structure in the community. The building’s occupants, who asked to remain anonymous, said that their home was finished just nine months before. Similar to the Machekar family, they were notified on May 19 as well, and on May 21, a demolition crew showed there.

A resident said, “We gave the contractor all the paperwork and he assured us that everything was in compliance with the regulations.” Every demolition is carried out in accordance with the law. The buildings would eventually be removed if they are constructed on MIAL property that has been encroached upon, a senior MIAL official said. At the time of publication, the MMRDA was not immediately available for comment.