From: b sabha <bcsabha.kal...@gmail.com>
Salt pan lands could become construction sites this Friday Makarand Gadgil & Yogesh Naik mirrorfeedback TWEETS @MumbaiMirror ? ? Despite protests, govt to announce construction of affordable homes on salt pans, no-development zones The state government is scheduled to announce the much-awaited affordable housing policy on September 2 (Friday). Despite the uproar, the government is likely to go ahead with the policy that seeks construction on salt pans and no-development zones, and the announcement could be made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at a function in Housing Minister Prakash Mehta's constituency, Ghatkopar. Ironically, the Sena had slammed construction on salt pans and no-development zones a few months ago citing a threat to envi ronment. The Development Control Regulations (DCR) of the draft Development Plan (DP) 2034 proposed taking up 260 hectares of salt pan land for constructing affordable housing. The draft proposed using plots from no-development zones, tourism development areas, salt pan lands, and the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) to be used for creation of one million affordable homes in the the next 20 years. Activists and environment experts had slammed the proposal saying salt pan land act as buffer for the city during the monsoon, even as builders pointed to lack of space and said such a move was the only solution if the poor were to get a roof over their head in Mumbai. Sources in the Housing Ministry said the idea was to open up 2,177 hectares of salt pan land and 2,360 hectares of the no-development zones. Although the policy does not envisage using up all the land, it is learnt that 33 per cent of the land will be used for affordable housing and the rest of it will be equally divided for open spaces and creation of public amenities including playgrounds, hospitals, and parks. While the salt pan land is equally divided between the state and the centre, the government has already begun talks with the Centre for releasing its share for the project. Of the available salt pan land, 700 hectares comes under the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) and 460 hectares is encroached land. The `pro-builder' policy also recommends giving floor space index (FSI) of up to four for construction firms although the firms are required to share half the housing stock. The government will later buy these apartments for the construction cost. The policy also has provisions for the redevelopment of the Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) and Bombay Improvement Trust (BIT) chawls and also the redevelopment of old buildings protected under the Rent Control Act, by making it attractive to builders with the promise of higher FSI. "The recommendations are much needed in today's situation.We hope the policy addresses all concerns," said Dharmesh Jain, President of Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry. ACTIVISTS SLAM THE MOVE Even as the government plans to play up `affordable housing', activ ists feel the enactment of the policy will mean an ecological disaster for Mumbai. "Most salt pan lands fall in CRZ-I category and within the inter-tidal zone. The opening of salt pan land will put unbearable pressure on the already crumbling infrastructure of the city," said Executive Trustee of Conservation Act Trust, Debi Goenka, who added that the carrying capacity of the city had exhausted. Housing rights activist also expressed concerns over the policy which reduced the bargaining power of government agencies. "The policy reduces the role of government agencies like MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority)," said Simpreet Singh, a housing rights activist. [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/NasData//PUBLICATIONS/MIRROR/MUMBAI/2016/08/29/Photographs/008/29_08_2016_008_002_002.jpg]<http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31821&articlexml=Salt-pan-lands-could-become-construction-sites-this-29082016008002#> ? ?
