Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Monday gave a last chance to the Maharashtra government to remove illegal encroachments on a 908 square metre area in the surroundings and on the approach road to the popular religious Haji Ali Dargah shrine located 500 yards from the Mumbai shoreline in the Arabian Sea.

In April this year, the Haji Ali Dargah Trust had volunteered to remove large scale encroachments around the historic mosque by May 8. “We had done 80 per cent of the job by removing over 2500 sq m of encroachments and the apex court had in fact appreciated our efforts,” Sohail Khandwani, a trustee of the Haji Ali Trust, told Gulf News. However, he added that clearing the rest of the encroachments was not in their control.

Now the apex court has given strong direction to the state government so that beautification of the area can begin.

The PTI reported today that a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud granted two weeks to the concerned authorities to take out the encroachments or face “serious consequences.” The court asked the deputy collector of Colaba Zone of South Mumbai to ensure that its orders were followed within two weeks from today.

The structure of Haji Ali Dargah was erected on a set of high rising rocks and was given its present day shape in the early 19th century after the Trust was legally formed as an entity in 1916. The complex now houses the tomb of Muslim Saint Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari and also a mosque and prayer hall. The structure with white domes and minarets is famous as a pilgrimage site among Muslims as well as non-Muslims.

Through the years, several encroachments came up, especially on the long path leading from the shore to the shrine where hundreds of hawkers occupied the route — which is accessible only during low tide.

Last year, a petition to remove all illegal encroachments on 8,000 sq ft of land in the complex as well as outside the approach road, was filed in the Bombay High Court by Sahayak, a socio-legal educational forum, said Ashish Mehta, an advocate at Sahayak.

The Trust had on April 13 relented to the tough stand taken by the apex court and offered to remove and demolish encroachments. However, the offer came only after the Supreme Court made it clear that only the mosque, located on an area of around 171 sq metres since 1931, would remain protected while rest of the area, measuring 908 sq metres, has to be cleared of squatters.

The apex court had taken a strict view of the issue and observed, “Believers of religion would never support encroachment.”

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had ordered the setting up of a joint task force comprising the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Collector to remove illegal encroachments at the Haji Ali Dargah.

Says Khandwani, “Removing the rest of the encroachments will not be a law and order problem but once that is done, we will give all support to the authorities to beautify the offshore land.”