A division bench of justices A S Oka and Vibha Kankanwadi raised concerns over the danger that the hutments pose, considering the upcoming monsoon season.
"This is a very serious and important issue. In order to avoid any untoward incident like landslides which will not only put the lives of the hutment dwellers in danger but also the railway passengers, it is necessary to remove the hutments immediately," Justice Oka said.
Last June, post a landslide in the area, the Thane Municipal Corporation had issued eviction notices to the shanties on and around the Parsik tunnel at Mumbra in Thane.
The tunnel that cuts right through the Parsik hill is an important link for the Central Railway's suburban and long distance lines.
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The dwellers had then approached the high court which stayed the eviction notice and asked the Thane civic body to first work out a rehabilitation scheme for the hutment dwellers.
According to the TMC, some of the hutments fall under the jurisdiction of the state forest department and Central Railway.
The high court today directed the state government's forest department to clarify its stand by June 13 on rehabilitation of the dwellers.