Bombay High Court halts plan to convert Bandra football ground into convention centre
The Bombay High Court has issued a stay on the Mumbai civic body's plan to convert the Neville D'Souza Football Ground into a convention center. The court emphasized the necessity of preserving open spaces for public sports and questioned the transparency of the municipal corporation's decision-making process.
Why it matters
This case underscores the ongoing conflict between urban development and the preservation of public recreational spaces in densely populated cities.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday (August 20, 2026) halted the Mumbai civic body's plan to convert Neville D'Souza Football Ground at Bandra Reclamation into an exhibition or convention centre.
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Gautam A Ankhad directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to refrain from taking any steps until the next hearing on September 18.
The court asked the civic body where people would play football. It took cognizance of an oral assurance the BMC had made to the court earlier, stating that the assurance by the BMC lawyer was not communicated to BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide.
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