September 13, 2025: With municipal elections approaching, the state government has moved to address a long-standing demand of Mumbai’s Koli community, aimed at safeguarding their cultural identity and securing their place in the city’s social fabric.
On Friday, Ashish Shelar, Guardian Minister for Mumbai Suburban District, instructed officials to ensure that koliwadas—traditional fishing settlements—are formally entered into Mumbai’s Development Control and Promotion Regulations 2034 (DCPR) within 60 days.
The Kolis, regarded as Mumbai’s original fishing community, have long sought legal recognition of their koliwadas’ boundaries. Such recognition would protect them from being misclassified as slums, a label that leaves them vulnerable to aggressive redevelopment pressures. Given that many koliwadas occupy prime coastal land, the risk of displacement is particularly acute.
At the review meeting, District Collector Saurabh Katiyar reported that of the 29 koliwadas in the suburban district, boundaries of 23 have already been marked. Six remain unresolved, as parts overlap with tribal hamlets. The exercise also led to the identification of three additional koliwadas.
The meeting was attended by BJP leaders, senior officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the Slum Redevelopment Authority, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, and local representatives including MLA Manisha Chaudhary and former MP Gopal Shetty. Chaudhary noted that the absence of DCPR entries is creating hurdles even for minor home repairs.
Koli leader Devendra Tandel, president of the Akhil Maharashtra Machimar Kruti Samiti, stressed that while homes are registered in residents’ names, the land belongs to multiple government agencies such as the Revenue Department, BMC, MbPA and the Navy. This, he said, complicates ownership rights. Tandel further demanded parity with other coastal areas, where construction up to 33 feet is permitted under CRZ rules, compared to Mumbai’s restriction of 14 feet.
Source: Hindustan Times
