Mumbai, Jan. 28 -- Nearly 400 tribal families residing inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) heaved a sigh of relief on Tuesday as forest minister Ganesh Naik announced that the drive to evict them, initiated earlier in the morning, was being halted and the issue would be discussed with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. "I have told additional chief secretary (forests) Milind Mhaiskar to study the issue," Naik said. Prior to Naik's announcement, on Tuesday morning, the national park's main gate at Borivali was closed as forest staff initiated the drive to evict the nearly 400 families who have reportedly been allotted flats under a government scheme. Tribal residents congregated in large numbers outside Navapada, the first hamlet where demolitions were scheduled, and blocked bulldozers from proceeding further. More than 4,500 people stay in 11 hamlets sinde the SGNP, according to Devendra Thakur from the Birsa Munda Adivasi Shramik Sanghatana. The Bombay High Court had, on May 7, 1997, ordered the eviction of 385 families who had already claimed rehabilitation housing at Chandivali. The residents, however, claimed that while people who were allotted flats in Chandivali had moved there, those staying inside the SGNP were their extended families. "Entire joint families possibly cannot stay in a 200 square feet flat," said a resident whose mother was provided a flat in Chandivali in 2012. "My mother has moved to Chandivali while I have been staying here with my family since my marriage," said the resident, who works with the SGNP, requesting that his identity be withheld as he feared reprisals from the national park management. The SGNP administration initiated a multi-pronged approach to evict the families soon after the completion of civic elections last week. Aside from issuing eviction notices to the families, services of BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity and Transport) bus number 188, which plied till Kanheri Caves, was suspended, inconveniencing school students. Residents were also warned of disconnection of their electricity and water supply lines. On Monday night, forest and police officials conducted a route march through the hamlets facing eviction even as 10-12 bulldozers were moved into the area through the back road close to Tulsi lake, residents said. Forest department officials alleged that the residents pelted stones at them and obstructed them from performing their duties. But Reshma Mhaskar, a Navapada resident and participant in the protest, rejected the allegations, saying women just responded to the attacks on them. On Tuesday, a young girl names Archana Dalvi had to be hospitalised as a security guard had kicked her in the chest, Mhaskar claimed. Around 25 class X students who live in SGNP also missed their prelim exams due to the eviction drive, said Payal Gond, who missed her Science-1 prelims. The forest department staff didn't allow students to go to their school despite requests from their principal, residents said. Speaking to reporters later in the evening, Naik expressed unhappiness over the alleged attack on forest staff on Monday, and said the demolition was being stayed. Borivali MLA and BJP leader Sanjay Upadhyay said Naik had convened a meeting of concerned MLAs and corporators at Sahyadri guest house, where the decision to stay the demolition was taken. Fadnavis too said that while action in the SGNP was ongoing following directions from the Bombay High Court, difficulties being faced by residents would also be considered. "We are working to resolve the matter," Fadnavis told reporters. At the SGNP, protestors greeted the announcement with loud cheering and clapping, though leaders of the agitation said that the reprieve was temporary and residents should remain on guard. "The forest officials can return for evictions anytime, whenever the chief minister decides," Dr Sunil Parhad, state secretary of the Adivasi Ekta Parishad told protestors. "We haven't got any assurance on paper," Dr Parhad said while asserting that the tribals had been living in the forest even before the Forest Rights Act came into force in 2006, and they "owned the forests in which they live". Devendra Thakur, founder of the Birsa Munda Adivasi Shramik Sanghatana, said the residents would now seek legal recourse. "We cannot be pushed into flats under the slum rehabilitation scheme, nor asked to live outside the forest," Thakur said. For tribal families, whose livelihoods depend on land, livestock and forest ecology, relocation to small flats is neither viable nor lawful, said Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson spokesperson Anish Gawande, who had written to Naik, demanding the demolition drive be kept in abeyance till all claims under the Forest Right Act are lawfully settled. "What happened today was both illegal and unconstitutional. Conservation cannot be pursued by bypassing the law, particularly when large infrastructure projects continue within the same forest landscape," Gawande said. Environmentalist Debi Goenka, the main petitioner in the high court regarding encroachments inside the SGNP, alleged that Naik wanted to reopen issues which had been discussed repeatedly. "Contempt proceedings are pending in the high court. To stay orders issued by the court in 1997 and 2003 is gross contempt of court," Goenka said....