SRA launches new platform to identify fresh slum encroachments in Mumbai

At present, Netram contains satellite images from the year 2000, which is the cutoff date for slum rehabilitation eligibility, 2011, another important cutoff year, and more recent images from 2012, 2024 and 2025.

Officials said the system allows officers to compare images from two different years using a simple slider tool. New encroachments are marked in red. The platform can also point out increases in the height of structures by studying shadows in the images. These records can be used as evidence in court cases to show that encroachments came up after the permitted dates.

The main objective, officials said, is to help remove encroachments that have come up after the 2011 cutoff date.
Work on Netram began in January 2025 and has been refined over several months. It was developed in collaboration with BISAG N, a government agency involved in national infrastructure planning. The only cost involved was for buying satellite images from the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre. The images on the platform will be updated regularly.

While the system makes it easier to identify new slums, taking action on the ground is a separate challenge.
The responsibility for acting on the information rests with the land owning authorities such as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, MMRDA, MHADA, the Collectorate and central government agencies. The SRA will act as a facilitator.

“In December (2025), we started training officers from the authorities on how to use the platform, which will continue as and when the need arises. It will be on them to take action on the findings,” the official said.

Before any action is taken, officials must conduct a ground survey to confirm the findings. Photographs and details from these inspections can be uploaded through Netram’s mobile application and stored in the system, making it easier to issue notices to illegal structures.

However, officials admitted that identifying encroachments does not always result in their removal, as authorities often point to heavy workloads and shortage of staff.