In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court has cleared the path for thousands of slum dwellers in Nagpur to gain legal ownership of homes built on Zudpi jungle land. The decision applies to slums established before December 12, 1996, provided residents can prove continuous occupancy prior to 2011.
This ruling ends decades of legal ambiguity for settlements on land governed by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT). Areas set to benefit include Takia (1,216 houses), Ekatmata Nagar (1,748), Ambedkar Nagar in Wadi (2,025), Rambai Ambedkar Nagar, Chunabhatti, and parts of Ambazari.
However, the judgment also stalls several high-profile projects planned on these lands, now officially classified as forest under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Projects like the MTDC’s water and adventure park and NMRDA’s Shivshrushti will need to either relocate or follow strict recompensation rules.
Civic officials confirmed a new agency will conduct an updated survey, as existing demographic data from 2011 is outdated. Ownership allotments will proceed only after individual plot demarcation and verification of eligibility. Residents unable to prove occupancy before 2011 will lose their claim, and the land will revert to the state.
The verdict brings relief and legal recognition to many, while forcing a re-evaluation of development priorities across the city. Political parties have called for swift implementation, signaling that the next phase of action begins now.
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