A political disagreement over the implementation of the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) in Navi Mumbai surfaced during the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s general body meeting on Monday, with BJP corporators opposing the regulations and calling for development to be aligned with the city’s infrastructure capacity.
Corporators supporting BJP leader and Forest Minister Ganesh Naik criticised provisions relating to increased Floor Space Index (FSI), cluster development and redevelopment. They argued that unrestricted additional construction could put pressure on Navi Mumbai’s existing infrastructure and alter its planned character.
Leader of the House Sagar Naik moved a resolution seeking the appointment of an expert agency to conduct a scientific assessment of the impact of UDCPR, increased FSI, housing society redevelopment and slum redevelopment on the city. The proposal was approved by a majority.
“If the increased FSI is implemented in Navi Mumbai, it will put additional strain on the city’s infrastructure,” the BJP corporators argued, stating that construction permissions should consider the carrying capacity of the city. Sagar Naik said, “Don’t make Navi Mumbai a police station by approving constructions as you wish with increased FSI,” while criticising Shiv Sena (Shinde) corporators.
The debate also saw BJP and Shiv Sena corporators clash over cluster development. While BJP members maintained that cluster schemes should be limited to densely populated areas where conventional redevelopment is not feasible, they alleged that the model could otherwise primarily benefit developers.
The BJP corporators also called for assessments of water supply, transportation, sewage systems, electricity, schools and other civic facilities before permitting additional construction. They said there was no blanket requirement for higher FSI across Navi Mumbai.
Self-Redevelopment Proposed
Sagar Naik and other BJP corporators suggested promoting self-redevelopment as an alternative to developer-led projects. They argued that this could meet the requirements of existing residents while limiting the creation of additional saleable housing and population pressure.
Mayor Sujata Patil said the civic body would formulate a separate policy on self-redevelopment. The BJP also demanded that the city’s infrastructure capacity be studied and clear criteria established for cluster development, priority areas and the additional population each locality can accommodate.
The developments come days after Ganesh Naik criticised the Urban Development Department’s policies. BJP corporators reiterated his position during the meeting, saying Navi Mumbai should not follow the development pattern of Thane.
Source: Loksatta
