A proposal to move both encroachers and tribal residents from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) was set in motion with the identification of a 90-acre site at Marol-Maroshi in Aarey Colony. The plan was outlined shortly after a high-level committee was constituted by the Bombay High Court to enable removal of encroachments from the park. The announcement was delivered during an event in Borivali, where the introduction of e-vehicle services in SGNP was also marked.
The relocation site was described as part of a No-Development Zone within Aarey’s urban forest and was previously understood to be reserved for slum-dweller encroachers alone. An expansion of scope was therefore signaled when tribal communities were included. The inclusion was considered sensitive because long-standing resistance to relocation had been expressed by adivasi residents, whose relationship with the forest has been described as ancestral and livelihood-defining.
A request for 15–20 days was placed before the court so that land could be made available while amendments to the SGNP zonal master plan were being processed by the National Board for Wildlife. Under the relocation blueprint, it was indicated that encroachers would be moved into Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA) buildings, whereas tribal families would be provided ground-plus-one dwellings in an effort to limit disruption to their daily practices. The construction of these units was assigned to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).
Assurances regarding livelihoods were recorded. Opportunities within the forest were said to be planned for adivasi residents, including roles as tourist guides, with additional employment avenues to be created over time. A meeting to address specific rehabilitation concerns of both encroachers and tribal households was said to be scheduled, indicating that further consultations would be held.
The legal backdrop was underscored by references to earlier litigation and judicial directions. The Marol-Maroshi parcel was allotted following proceedings initiated by Samyak Janhit Seva Sanstha, which represented SGNP slum residents seeking rehabilitation in line with prior court orders. Earlier rulings in 1997 and 1999, prompted by a public interest petition by the Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG), had mandated the removal of encroachments from SGNP alongside the rehabilitation of eligible dwellers, and those directions were cited as the foundation for the present approach.
Objections and cautions were also entered into the public record. Environmental advocates indicated that consultation with tribal residents should precede any action, and it was argued that displacement would be counter-productive because forest stewardship has long been practiced by these communities. It was emphasized that the draft zonal master plan, released in September, placed the Marol-Maroshi land within eco-sensitive Zone-1, where specified developments are permitted under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966. Within this framework, development was characterized as conditional and controlled, and the balance between ecological protection and urban rehabilitation was presented as the central challenge to be managed.