Maharashtra Government is considering the feasibility of a proposal for affordable housing development on a salt pan land.

By Abhay Harish Shah, Realty Quarter

A statement by the Revenue and Forest Department said that the Maharashtra state has adopted the first step toward the development of affordable housing on a salt pan land and plans for revising a proposal within 60days which is offered by the property development company.

The chosen salt pan land is situated on the Eastern Express Highway at Kanjurmarg-Bhandup. The salt pan lands are those lands in which salt and other minerals are found after large water bodies get dried up over the years.

The proposition put forward by developer Shapoorji Pallonji to build affordable housing on the land within 60 days will be reviewed by a five-member committee ruled by the additional chief secretary of finance. It will also check whether the said land is provided to the builder on a rental system or premium basis, the notification said. The said developer did not comment on the proposal or on the notification.

Under Mumbai’s new development plan there would be more than 3,000 hectares of land available for the construction of affordable houses after the no-development zone (NDZ) gets unblocked. Other than this land, there will be an extra 300 hectares of salt pan land for affordable housing. About ten lakhs homes on these territories will be constructed by 2034.

“Salt pan lands and NDZ lands are the only choices in a space-starved metropolis for promoting the reach of residential growth. The first phase has been done, after the claims that a town with scarcity could alter the use of salt pan land and make use of it as affordable housing. A committee has been established, which is a welcome step to assess the scenario. In tandem with the environmental equilibrium, the committee will assess the range of growth.” said Niranjan Hiranandani, president of Naredco.

It is vital to open feasible territory for salt pan within the urban boundaries, owing to lack of property in Mumbai, to develop affordable housing. It is also important to remember that not all salt pan lands are ecologically dangerous in terms of residential use. The opening of this land for affordable housing will assist to avoid slum growth, he said.

The Government of Maharashtra (GoM) had chosen in 2017 for housing projects, slum rehabilitation and infrastructure growth to use salt pan terrain in Mumbai and its Metropolitan Region. GoM had designated the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) as the executing authority of salt pan lands development in Mumbai.

Urban specialists have suggested that the opportunities for affordable housing can be rerouted from big areas of land situated within city boundaries, unused parcels held by public sector undertakings, central authorities such as railways and defence, salt pan lands and tea estates.

Salt pan lands, subject to a shift in the state’s zoning, may be used for that intent. Of course, this is subject to standards and laws the Development Control (DC) rules and Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) guidelines.

The railways are among those who consider sheltering excess terrain. “Railways have feasibility and income potential for affordable housing,” a senior railway official said.

Under the Housing for All mission, the government has laid a goal of 1.2 crore housing units by 2022, but property procurement is the greatest task.