BMC Promises High Court No Action on Bandra Football Ground Reservation
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed the Bombay High Court on Monday that it will maintain the status quo and refrain from taking action regarding the proposed change in reservation of the Neville D’Souza Football Ground at Bandra Reclamation until the next hearing.
The assurance came during the hearing of a petition filed on August 7 by the Mumbai Football Association (MFA). The MFA challenged a proposal to convert the football ground back into a convention and exhibition centre, alleging that the move is arbitrary, illegal, and threatens one of the city's key football venues.
The approximately 11,121-square-metre plot was leased to the MFA by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) in 2011. MHADA now seeks to restore the site's original 1983 reservation for trade fairs and convention centres.
In its petition, the MFA sought the quashing of a November 3, 2025 letter issued by MHADA to restore the original reservation. It also challenged a May 2026 recommendation by the BMC Improvements Committee to alter the land's designation under Mumbai’s Revised Development Plan 2034.
Senior advocate Zal Andhyarujina, along with counsels Akshay Doctor, Pradeep Mane, and Anoj Menon, represented the MFA. They informed the court that the association has maintained and managed the ground for organized football for over 15 years under periodically renewed MHADA permissions.
The MFA stated that its July 31, 2025 application to extend the arrangement remains pending. It argued that despite being the existing authorized user of the land, it received no notice and was given no opportunity to present its case before the civic committee recommended the reservation change.
According to the association, more than 10,000 footballers use the venue, and converting the plot would adversely affect children, youth, and women’s football in Mumbai. It warned that civic approval of the proposal would cause irreversible damage to local sports infrastructure before legal challenges could take effect.
The petition requests the court to permanently restrain authorities from changing the plot's reservation for non-sporting purposes. It also directs MHADA and the BMC to submit complete records, including an April 24, 2026 municipal commissioner note, committee reports, agenda papers, and state government correspondence.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad scheduled the next hearing for August 22 to enable the civic body to file its reply affidavit.
