The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday demolished 63 shops and shanties that stood on a 6.91-acre plot on Marve Road at Malad West that is reserved for recreation and playgrounds. The civic body has decided to develop a theme park on the plot. According to the BMC official, the plot was encroached upon by 63 furniture shops and shanties for two decades.

The BMC had issued a notice to the encroachers in July 2023 and ordered them to submit the required documents. “Only the owners of eight of the 63 structures are eligible for an alternative space or monetary compensation,” said a BMC official.