On Monday, the Maharashtra government approved the lease acquisition of 255.9 acres of ecologically hazardous salt-pan property from the Centre to house individuals who were disqualified for dwellings under the Adani Group-led Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
The Centre approved the transfer on September 2 after the Maharashtra government sought that three salt-pan land parcels in Kanjurmarg, Bhandup, and Mulund be leased for the redevelopment project. The action was opposed by Dharavi locals who want in-situ restoration, as well as environmental campaigners who called it “an ecologically disastrous decision”. Salt pans, which are low-lying land parcels, act like a sponge, absorbing rain and preventing severe floods in Mumbai.
The state government intends to use the acquired salt-pan land to create rental, low-cost, and inexpensive housing for Dharavi inhabitants who were previously ineligible for redevelopment. Residents whose tenements were built before January 1, 2000, and who lived on the bottom level were eligible for dwellings in Dharavi, while others will be housed in rental housing developments throughout the city.
Environmental campaigners condemned the move, warning that it might trigger a deluge similar to the one that occurred on July 26, 2005, when a cloudburst resulted in 944mm of rainfall in 24 hours, killing over 1,000 people. “The very areas that protect Mumbai from drowning will be carpeted with cement-concrete,” environmentalist Rishi Aggarwal stated. “We are all aware of what happened in Mumbai during the 2005 deluge, after the land between Bandra and Kurla was reclaimed to become a core commercial centre. A repeat of this will be unavoidable as Mumbai becomes less climate resilient and more flood-prone.”
Buildings on salt pans cover 6.216 acres in Mumbai’s Wadala, Bhandup, Nahur, Trombay, Malwani, and Goregaon neighbourhoods. Roads have been created on salt pans in Wadala, Nahur, Trombay, and Mulund that cover an area of 10.969 acres. There are minor land pieces in the city that are disputed and encroached upon.
Source: Hindustan Times
