India, April 9 -- Under a harsh Wednesday sun, hundreds of families in Annabhau Sathe Nagar in Mankhurd watched their homes come down in a matter of hours as authorities carried out one of the city's largest anti-encroachment drives along the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road. For many, belongings lay scattered in the open, with no immediate clarity on rehabilitation.

More than 1,200 illegal huts were demolished across nearly 11 acres of government land, officials said. The operation, undertaken on the orders of Mumbai Suburban Collector Saurabh Katiyar in coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), was carried out amid heavy police deployment.

Authorities said the land had been encroached upon for several years, but acti...