MoEF withdraws stop-work notice to cessed and dilapidated buildings.
The decision of the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) allowing reconstruction of cessed and dilapidated buildings falling under the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) has come as a shot in the arm for developers and residents.
Following the MoEF directive, the civic body has decided to allow redevelopment of cessed and dilapidated buildings in the coastal regulation zone. The corporation has asked the developers/residents to resume the reconstruction.
The reconstruction of old and dilapidated buildings in the CRZ were put on hold for the last two years due to MoEF’s objection.
Rajiv Kukunoor, chief engineer of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), confirmed that they have received a clarification letter from the MoEF, informing them to resume the reconstruction of the cessed, dilapidated and old buildings.
“The environment ministry felt that most of the developers/residents were conniving with Mhada, BMC and other government officers, falsely declaring buildings in prime locations as dilapidated. Eventually, reconstruction would include taking additional floor space index in coastal regulation zone. So, they directed the state government to put these proposals on hold, leading to a halt in redevelopment in the city. Most of the affected projects were located in south Mumbai,” said a senior civic official, requesting anonymity.
But the ministry has written to the corporation once more, informing them that they can grant occupancy certificates to those projects where reconstruction work was halted. “The BMC will now ask the developers to restart the redevelopment,” said another civic officer.
“MoEF should be clear about their facts before taking such a tough stand of stopping the city’s redevelopment. It is usual for the BMC to issue notice to demolish the buildings if they are certified as dilapidated. If we stop issuing demolition notices and any untoward incidents happens, then who will take the responsibility?” asked a government official.
Milind Samel, a senior architect, welcomed the MoEF’’s decision saying the government and its department should be development friendly, not anti-development.
“They should not halt redevelopment. Virgin land is non-existent in the city. There are 5,000 to 6,000 cessed buildings, which fall in the CRZ where almost 30,000 to 50,000 families are staying in extremely dangerous conditioned buildings. The buildings need to be urgently redeveloped. Otherwise, many more incidents like the Altaf Mansion tragedy are bound to happen in future,” he warned.
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