Adivasi Villagers Protest Eviction Notices In Thane Belt Of Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Adivasi communities from Patlipada and Dongripada villages in the Thane belt of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) have strongly opposed eviction notices issued by the Forest Department, triggering peaceful protests by hundreds of residents over the past week.

Forest officials recently visited the two villages and affixed eviction notices on several homes, citing alleged encroachment within the protected forest area. The notices warned residents to vacate their houses, leading to widespread anxiety and anger among the local tribal population, many of whom claim to have lived in the area for generations.

In response, villagers gathered in large numbers and staged peaceful demonstrations, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the notices. Protesters carried placards asserting their rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, and accused the authorities of acting without due process or verification of their claims. Community leaders said no prior consultations or surveys were conducted before the notices were issued.

“We are not encroachers. Our families have lived hee long before the park boundaries were drawn,” said a local resident during the protest. Villagers also alleged that many households have pending claims under the FRA that are yet to be recognised by the authorities.

The protests in Patlipada and Dongripada come amid rising unrest among tribal communities living around SGNP. Earlier this month, hundreds of Adivasis from hamlets near Borivali, on the Mumbai side of the national park, held a demonstration demanding protection from eviction and recognition of their forest rights. That protest saw tribal groups marching near the SGNP main entrance and submitting a memorandum to officials, warning of intensified agitation if forced evictions continue. Activists supporting the protests said the Forest Department’s actions violate Supreme Court guidelines that prohibit evictions until all forest rights claims are properly examined and decided. They also pointed out that while tribal settlements face eviction, large-scale commercial and infrastructure activities around the park continue unchecked.

The Forest Department said there are no “original” Adivasis living inside SGNP today. It relies on a Bombay High Court judgment in the case of Manik Rama Sapte vs State of Maharashtra. According to the department, the court held that all original tribal families were shifted out of the forest in 1977 and relocated to Palghar district. The department says those living inside the park now are encroachers who returned after rehabilitation. In 2003, the Bombay High Court accepted that Adivasis have a special relationship with forests but rejected the claim that thousands of tribal families lived inside SGNP. The court said only a few hundred families were found and that they did not have legal rights over the forest land. It treated them on par with other encroachers for the purpose of eviction and rehabilitation.

For now, tensions remain high in the Thane belt villages, with residents vowing to continue peaceful resistance.