Mumbai: MMB Orders Demolition of Four Concrete Walls at Bandra Bandstand
Mumbai, 9th September 2026: The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to demolish four concrete walls erected along access points to the Bandra Bandstand promenade, citing obstruction to public movement.
In a letter to the BMC’s H-West ward dated September 3, the MMB said the walls were creating “obstructions” along transit routes used by senior citizens and tourists. The structures are expected to be demolished on Wednesday, according to MMB and BMC officials.
The walls were reportedly constructed by the Bandra Bandstand Residents Trust (BBRT) without permission from the maritime authority. An MMB official said the board approached the BMC for their removal as it did not have the machinery required to demolish the structures.
The issue was raised by Shiraz Ahmed, founding director of the nonprofit Humanity World Foundation, who alleged that the walls were being used to restrict access to the promenade and prevent hawkers, underprivileged people and pet owners from using the access points.
Ahmed claimed that senior citizens and pedestrians were being forced to take a detour to enter or leave the promenade because of the walls. He said that after he complained to the MMB, the authority clarified that it had not constructed the structures and subsequently checked with the BBRT.
BBRT chairperson Benedict Soares acknowledged that the trust had erected the walls around five years ago. He said the structures were built following complaints from police about hawkers and “mischief makers” using the access points.
Soares also said stormwater drainage work was underway at the time and the walls were intended to prevent water from entering the promenade. He maintained that the structures were not built for the benefit of the trust but for the benefit of the public.
The proposed demolition is expected to restore unobstructed access to the Bandra Bandstand promenade for pedestrians, senior citizens and tourists.
