Versova beach images show dozens sleeping on sand, spark debate on Mumbai living conditions

2 min readNew DelhiJun 18, 2026 05:03 PM IST

Residents of slum settlements near the Versova coastline spend their nights on the beach to escape intense heat and frequent power outages

Distressing images going viral on social media show dozens of people sleeping along the shores of Mumbai’s Versova Beach, sparking debate about housing, migration, poverty, and the use of public spaces in the city.

The images, shared on X, show crowds sleeping on the sand under the open sky. Most of those seen in the photographs appear to be men.

According to the caption accompanying the post, residents of slum settlements near the Versova coastline spend their nights on the beach to escape intense heat and frequent power outages, returning home the following morning.

Check out the post:

People Spending Nights on Versova Beach in Mumbai to Escape Intense Heat and Frequent Power Outages: HT pic.twitter.com/5HMQcVIDWI

— 🚨Indian Gems (@IndianGems_) June 17, 2026

A few days earlier, a video showing a similar scene had also gone viral, suggesting that this is not a one-off occurrence but a practice that has been continuing for some time.

This video is from Versova..

Recently seen same video of Bhayander khadi..

Have never seen this before in Mumbai..

If you don’t have space to live then please leave Mumbai but don’t spoil public places like this 🙏🏻

Please @Dev_Fadnavis sir take action asap pic.twitter.com/xZrHp67Vj2

— Trupti Garg (@garg_trupti) June 11, 2026

The glimpses from the beach have gone viral, and many took to the comments section to share their reactions. One user wrote, “Problem of overpopulation in Mumbai. Other states are Zombieland, where no one wants to go. Why nobody wants to talk about this..”

Another user commented, “Mumbai’s Luxury life… we’re really a 3rd world country, can’t produce enough power for ourselves in 2026.” A third person added that the beach was cleaned by a volunteer. “That’s why they are able to sleep here, otherwise it was riddled with decades of filth and trash.”

A fourth individual wrote, “This looks more like a camping site at the refugee centre. If in these times of progress and technology, we are also having power outages, can we call ourselves developed?”