New coastal regulation norms open a can of worms in Mumbai

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has a knack for attracting criticism from stakeholders on both sides of the environment versus development debate. And so it was when he released the new Coastal Regulation Zone notification that included special provisions for Mumbai. Environmentalists say the provisions have provided the real estate sector with the opening it was looking for to develop prime properties in ecologically sensitive coastal areas. Real estate players, on the other hand, argue that by insisting that the government be a majority stakeholder, the new regulations have simply complicated the process, if not rendered it unfeasible.

It is certain, however, that Mumbai’s cityscape is going see a major change, though not immediately.

Delay in construction
Urban planners differ on how much land is going to be made available for development. In theoretical terms, it could be 100 hectares, says Shubhankar Mitra, director, strategic consulting at real-estate consulting firm Jones Lang Lasalle. But he adds that there is still no clear idea about how much of this land is classified as CRZ I (which remains a no-development zone) and how much is under CRZ II and III. Development can start only once there is clarity on this issue.

Also, while redeveloping slums and dilapidated buildings is an exciting prospect for real estate developers, there is already a surplus of 20,000 premium flats, says Mitra. “Development will be in patches depending on micro markets. While Malabar Hill, Andheri, Worli and Bandra will see development soon, areas such as Mazgaon or Sewri will be left out for the time being,” he says.

The requirement that the government be a majority stakeholder in equity for all redevelopment projects falling under the CRZ, too, is leading to confusion. The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has already said it doesn’t have the finances to invest in such projects. The real estate sector is worried about the number of stakeholders this would involve — themselves, the government, and existing tenants. While the government agency could invest by way of providing land, in many cases, this may not be possible as the land belongs to a third party. This would only increase the number of stakeholders, real estate players fear.

Keeping check
Construction of more houses and roads may be good news, but this developmental activity will happen in ecologically sensitive areas, and till now no-development zones. With increased constructions it is crucial that norms laid down be strictly implemented.

“When you construct beyond 500m from the high tide line, you have room for trial and error. But once you are so close to the sea, you do not have this choice. When you tamper with these areas, the impact will be felt quickly. The more you spread on this thin environmental threshold, any error will be a serious error,” says Pankaj Joshi, executive director, Urban Design Research Institute.   

The changes in the CRZ rules have put a greater responsibility on the state to study and monitor the “strategic impact” of construction along the coast. For example, the state will have to ensure that no activity is blocking estuaries or narrowing the nallahs, else major flooding in these areas could become commonplace, says Joshi.

No mapping yet
Unfortunately, Maharashtra’s mechanism to deal with coastal region management has come a cropper in the past. According to a former bureaucrat who worked with MHADA, CRZ 1991 had asked states to create a Coastal Zone Management Authority, which would prepare the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). Though the notification was passed in 1991, it took Maharashtra four years to prepare the CZMP, he says, adding that the draft of the plan should have been put out for public discussion, which didn’t happen.

“We have to analyse every kilometre of the coast to figure out how the CRZ is going to apply to each area. The new notification makes it clear that detailed maps of 1:25,000 resolution have to be created. But the time period of 24 months  is too much. In 2005, the high court had said that satellite mapping of coastal areas has to be done. Preparing a CZMP in six months is the litmus test. If this isn’t done then it’s all a joke. If you don’t measure, how will you manage,” says environmental activist Rishi Aggarwal.