The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has approved coastal regulation clearance for a residential housing project for sanitation workers in Colaba under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Ashray Yojana welfare scheme.
The approval comes nearly two years after the project’s groundbreaking ceremony. Under the scheme, registered sanitation workers employed by the civic body are proposed to receive housing units as part of the municipal welfare initiative.
The project was first proposed by the BMC in October 2024 to construct residential quarters for conservancy workers of the Solid Waste Management Department. Earlier this year, the civic body submitted a formal proposal to the coastal authority for development at Cochin Street and Kalikat Street in the Fort area of South Mumbai.
According to project details, the proposal includes the construction of a ground-plus-nine-storey residential building spread across 489.14 square metres with a planned height of 29.30 metres.
Makarand Narwekar said, “The primary objective of this project is to provide housing to sanitation workers, who play a pivotal role in maintaining the cleanliness and public health infrastructure of Mumbai city.”
Narwekar further stated, “In total, 54 flats will be constructed for sanitation workers, each measuring 238 square feet in the area.”
In its approval documents, the coastal authority clarified that there would be no change in land usage and that Floor Space Index (FSI) permissions had been granted in accordance with existing regulations.
The project had faced delays due to multiple stakeholders associated with the land parcel. A portion of the site is owned by Mumbai Port Trust and was leased to the civic body for the housing project.
Out of the total 1,892.15 square metre plot area, approximately 1,403 square metres belong to the BMC, while 489.13 square metres are owned by the port authority. Following several rounds of communication, the Mumbai Port Trust granted in-principle approval for the proposal earlier this year, enabling the BMC to seek final clearance from the coastal authority.
Source: The Indian Express
