A Sea-Facing house is not a distant dream in Mahim. One can rent a hut with an unhindered view of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link for R8,000-R10,000 a month. As civic authorities turn a blind eye to violations despite repeated complaints, 20 to 25 shanties have sprung up on the seafront, said locals. Propped up by bamboos, these beach houses that can collapse at any time are homes to 100 to 150 people.

Vigilant citizens from the neighbourhood said people having their houses near the shore have extended the structures towards the sea. Mahim has a wide shore sharing it with Bandra reclamation and Dadar and patches of it are now being encroached upon, they said. mid-day asked a man living in an illegal hut about the risks the structures face due to high tide.