The Union Government handed over the running of the Mumbai Airport to the Private Company GVK Group two years ago. On 10th of January 2008, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, in the presence of GVK company officials, announced plans to create a corridor linking both the Airports. This corridor would have walkways, skyways as well as underground tube networks.

Following the announcement the people living in slums in the area are facing imminent threat of eviction from their houses. The proposed corridor would mean the immediate demolition of at least 2500 houses Leaving 10,000 people homeless. Moreover, it is feared by people that this will be the beginning of mass scale displacement. There are nearly 80,000 houses in slums surrounding the Mumbai International and Domestic Airports where about 5 lakh people reside. These slums occupy an area of 280 acres. The people residing in the slums have been staying here for the last 40-50 years. They originally came as construction workers and other workers who were employed in building the airports and eventually occupied the vacant lands around the airport.

After the announcement of the corridor the company officials sent a team to survey the affected areas. But the residents prevented the officials from carrying out the survey. They demanded that the Government and the company should accede to their demands. This includes rehabilitation in local areas, and not being shifted off to far off suburbs. The residents have proposed that of the 280 acres of land occupied by them, 40% of this land amounting to 110 acres should be utilized for construction of tenements for the residents. These tenements should be of minimum 400 sq feet and the residents have also demanded playgrounds, hospitals, schools and junior colleges, community centres and shopping centres.

People's Voice supports the just demands of the residents of the slums around Mumbai airports.