To accommodate the growing population, expanding infrastructure, and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, the Police Commissioner there has proposed an increase in the number of police stations, restructuring the jurisdiction into three zones. Currently, the Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate comprises two zones with a total of 21 police stations, divided as 10 in Zone 1 and 11 in Zone 2.
As the city is rapidly evolving into a bustling center for IT, infrastructure, and education, existing police resources have become strained, raising concerns about law and order. In response, the Police Commissioner has submitted a proposal to the government to establish a third zone. If approved, this new structure would add one Deputy Commissioner, two Assistant Police Commissioners, and four additional police stations. However, approval for this proposal is unlikely before the upcoming assembly elections.
The Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate oversees a broad area stretching from Digha to Belapur, including Panvel Municipal Area, which covers Panvel-Kharghar, Taloja, and Uran. Since the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) initiated Navi Mumbai’s development in the 1970s, the city has grown rapidly and strategically, establishing itself as a hub for IT and education. With industries, quality housing, ample water supply, a robust educational network, and transit amenities, Navi Mumbai’s population continues to expand, positioning the city as a critical link in the Mumbai-Thane-Pune region.
In Zone 1, the Rabale police station currently serves Airoli and surrounding areas, including Ghansoli, which has a population exceeding 100,000. High population density has led to frequent law and order challenges, and limited resources at the Rabale police station have prompted the proposal to divide it into separate Ghansoli and Airoli stations. Likewise, in Zone 2, the rapidly growing Karanja node under Panvel City Police Station has led to the recommendation of a new Karanja police station. Additionally, there are plans to merge the existing Uran and Mora police stations into a unified Uran-Mora station, which would fall under the proposed Zone 3.
The construction of Navi Mumbai’s international airport is progressing swiftly, with the first flight expected to take off by mid-next year. This development requires dedicated law enforcement presence in the airport vicinity, leading to the proposal for a specialized Airport Police Station, which would handle only airport-related cases, similar to the setup at Mumbai Airport, as confirmed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Prashant Mohite.
Further, CIDCO’s ongoing development in Uran’s Dronagiri node has led to the proposal for a separate Dronagiri police station. If the government approves these requests, the total number of police stations under the Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate will increase to 24.
Recently, with the rise of urbanization in the Ulwe node, the government sanctioned a new independent police station, which has now become operational. The proposed reorganization would restructure the zones as follows: Zone 1 would have seven police stations, including an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for the Rabale section; Zone 2 would consist of eight police stations with an ACP for the Kharghar division; and the newly proposed Zone 3 would include nine police stations, led by an ACP for the CBD division.
This restructuring aims to better support law and order in a rapidly expanding Navi Mumbai, meeting the demands of its growing population and emerging infrastructure.
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