Maharashtra mulls changes to airport slum development plan

 

The Maharashtra government is exploring ways to change development control rules (DCRs) to enable faster rehabilitation of 85,000 slum-dwellers residing around the Mumbai international airport on the earmarked area adjacent to the airport.

Besides, the government plans to look into the viability of resettlement of slum-dwellers. According to the rehabilitation scheme, slum-dwellers will be provided free houses while the developer will be allowed to commercially develop some portion of the land.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had last week announced that a survey was being conducted of the slums keeping in mind "in situ rehabilitation."  The survey, which is being conducted by the additional collector (slums) from the Mumbai and Suburban Mumbai Collectorates, was expected to be complete in October. A plan will be finalised after that.

Of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA)’s 1,981.85 acres, about 308.95 acres are currently under encroachments/slums, spread across notified areas such as Kurla, Sahar, Santacruz, Agripada, Gaodevi and Kalina.

A senior government official told Business Standard, “When the UPA was in power, a scheme was implemented wherein the Mumbai International Airport Ltd, which runs the CSIA, roped in HDIL and about 18,000 houses were built. However, resettlement was stuck due to various issues. As declared by the chief minister, slum-dwellers will be rehabilitated in situ. Let the survey be completed as it is quite crucial to decide the eligibility, density and infrastructure. Thereafter, the government can consider changes in development plan or DCR to resettle slum-dwellers.”

He clarified that the state and the Centre would help put in place the necessary framework.

BJP legislator from Vile Parle, Parag Alavani, who has been holding meetings with slum-dwellers to bring them on board, said the earlier scheme was to shift these people to locations located far away. Besides, the scheme envisaged by the UPA government had proposed to give the developer airport land. “However, now the state and the central governments have agreed to provide land adjacent to the airport for rehabilitation instead of giving it to a developer. We have also demanded that land be earmarked in the development plan/DCR for rehabilitation purpose which will help in situ resettlement,” he added.