Development Plan (DP) 2014-2034 cleared by BMC on Monday midnight after nine years of deliberation.
Mumbaikars will get more open spaces, 10 lakh affordable homes, more commercial space with the allotment of 5 FSI to create 8 million jobs, a central park, 120 hectare of new green space and a world class museum. These are some of the key proposals of the Development Plan (DP) 2014-2034 cleared by BMC on Monday midnight after nine years of deliberation. The DP has now been forwarded to the state government for approval, said a BMC official.
The plan has made it clear that Mumbai's vertical growth is inevitable, but BMC will focus adequately on providing basic amenities including water, sanitation, primary health centre, school to those living in slums – which accounts for 60% of the population — until they are redeveloped. This apart, no construction including recreation clubs will henceforth be allowed in environmentally sensitive areas.
BMC has earmarked Rs 2,400 crore in the current fiscal year for implementation of the plan and there will be a subsequent increase to Rs 5,000 crore in the next three years.
Furthermore, BMC has proposed development of reserved open spaces which have been encroached upon. Nearly 33% of such designated open spaces will be earmarked as open public spaces and the balance 67% will be utilized to rehabilitate slum dwellers who have encroached on such places.
This apart, around 248 hectares of land under the SDZ I encumbered with slums and various other settlements, and 1,773 hectare under the SDZ II which is non-encumbered (but is under no development zone) will be opened up for affordable and social housing. BMC estimates that it will help construction of 10 lakh homes.
BJP group leader Manoj Kotak told DNA, "The 500-sq ft home at the fixed construction cost of Rs 2,500 per sq ft can be available at Rs 15 lakh. With the opening of SDZ I and SDZ II lands more space will be available for increasing housing stock in the city."
Ramesh Nair, CEO & Country Head JLL India, a professional services and investment management firm specializing in real estate services agreed that Mumbai needs to remove encroachments and create open spaces for its denizens, but said future instances of encroachments on these open spaces also need to be curbed.
Moreover, the BMC has proposed providing 5-floor space index (FSI) for commercial projects which are expected to create 8 million new jobs in the city. This will also consolidate Mumbai's commercial hub status in the coming years.
Gulam Zia, executive director of leading international property consultant Knight Frank said, "Adding more office properties is critical for the growth of the city as it is the biggest source of primary job creation. With land availability becoming more and more difficult allowing higher FSI is the only option." However, he cautioned that higher FSI without improvement in basic infrastructure will only add to the miseries of the city.
Kotak informed that BMC on the Public Private Participation (PPP) model proposes to develop a sprawling central park on the lines of Hyde Park in London, and it will create a new 120-hectare green space at the Eastern Water front. A world-class museum will also be constructed near Juhu.
The leader of opposition and Congress leader Ravi Raja argued that the DP intended to please builders and was not likely to largely benefit the poor and working class.
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