The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced that the permanent rehabilitation of licensed fish vendors previously operating at the now-defunct Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Market will begin in August 2025 at the newly redeveloped Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market. The BMC expects the move to significantly benefit fish vendors, especially from the Koli community, by providing them with modern facilities designed to support and grow their trade.

The relocation plan comes in the wake of safety concerns surrounding the old Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Market building, located near the BMC headquarters. The structure, which comprised a basement, ground floor, and four upper levels, was declared structurally dangerous during a 2012 audit. Acting on directions from the Hon’ble High Court during a Public Interest Litigation hearing, the BMC vacated the building in July 2021 and temporarily relocated 348 licensed fish vendors to other municipal markets.

Fish vendors, Koli community representatives, and several public bodies have since been requesting rehabilitation in a nearby area to ensure business continuity. The BMC identified the redeveloped Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market (formerly Crawford Market), located in close proximity, as a suitable site. Between 2014 and 2016, the civic body included a dedicated fish market building in the redevelopment plan to accommodate the displaced vendors.