Redevelopment nod for 16,000 old buildings, slums

Ganeshotsav has brought good news for those residing in dilapidated buildings within the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) in Mumbai and its extended suburbs.

The Union ministry of environment has given its nod to the state government’s proposal to allow the redevelopment of 16,000 old, dilapidated, and cessed and unsafe buildings in the CRZ. It has also allowed slum rehabilitation schemes along the CRZ and asked the state to provide basic amenities, apart from ensuring all legal tenants get houses.

The news comes with a condition. The redevelopment should be undertaken through joint ventures or public-private partnerships (PPP) or similar models ensuring that the state government’s stake, or that of its parastatal entities, shall not be less than 51%. It means the private players’ holdings will not exceed 49%.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh defended the move to involve the government in the redevelopment of slums and chawls, saying, “This condition has been imposed because we don’t want builders to take control of the properties and start evicting tenants.”

Another important aspect in the government’s new draft notification relates to allowing additional floor space index (FSI) in accordance with current town planning norms. It means FSI up to four can be availed of instead of one prevalent earlier.

“It is a big step forward for the development of Greater Mumbai. The state government has been successful in convincing the ministry of environment to allow redevelopment through joint ventures undertaken through the PPP model,” environment secretary Valsa Nair Singh said.

The state government had been confronted with the challenge of safeguarding human lives in dilapidated buildings because of strict CRZ rules and restricting the FSI to one. Ramesh agreed to consider Mumbai as a special case on the state government’s insistence. The new norms have also paved the way for the redevelopment of koliwadas and goathans dotted across Mumbai.

While emphasising the need for suitable accommodation for original tenants during the course of redevelopment, the government has urged the state to ensure transparency. It has made it mandatory for the setting up of a high-level oversight committee for periodic review by the state government, comprising stakeholders like architects, urban planners, engineers, civil society, urban local bodies and government members at the Centre.

The redeveloped projects will be subject to government control and audit through the offices of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and local and state government bodies. They would also be covered by the Right to Information Act.

To promote the “green lung” of the greater Mumbai region, all open spaces, parks, gardens, and playgrounds indicated in the development plans within CRZ-11 have been categorised in CRZ-111 as “no development zones”. The commercial and residential use of such open spaces is not permissible. However, FSI up to 15% shall be allowed - restricted to the construction of recreational sports activities.
—Additional reporting by Pankaj Sharma