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In a significant policy shift, the state of Mumbai has announced the restoration of No-Development Zones (NDZs) through a notification. The move entails the elimination of affordable housing in these zones, now rebranded as Special Development Zones (SDZs), with only high-density slums retaining the SD label.
The notification reintroduces a low floor space index of 0.025 on NDZs, opening avenues for tourism development, educational institutions, ground-plus-one residential structures, IT parks, among other developments. The urban development department's notification has triggered a call for objections and suggestions regarding the sanctioning of the remaining Excluded Parts (EPs) under the Development Plan (DP) 2034, specifically covering SDs.
The DP comprises two components - Sanctioned and Excluded. While Sanctioned Parts are provisions ready for implementation, EPs include newly introduced provisions that require public input in the form of objections and suggestions.
Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had initially refused to sanction these EPs, citing ecological concerns and potential harm to Mumbai. A detailed note outlining his reasons for not approving SDZs indicated environmental considerations as a key factor. Subsequently, landowners approached the Bombay High Court, which directed the state to make a decision within eight weeks.
The current government has opted to scrap the SDZs, except in areas housing high-density slums. This move has drawn reactions from experts in the field, with architect Vilas Nagalkar noting that the new notification will curtail construction in NDZs. The earlier plan would have allowed unabated construction in such zones, but now it will be restricted to the redevelopment of slum pockets.
Urban researcher Hussain Indorewala expressed concern over the removal of affordable housing in SDZs, emphasizing that only densely populated slums, with at least 650 tenements per hectare, will be eligible for redevelopment through slum rehabilitation schemes on such lands. Indorewala raised questions about the government's reassessment of the supply and demand for affordable housing.
One of the major challenges highlighted was the absence of civic infrastructure on these lands. A town planner suggested that the lack of interest among builders in the affordable housing scheme might have prompted the state to abandon it.
Indorewala further raised doubts about the nature of development proposed by the government in tourism and IT park zones. He argued that the emphasis seemed to be on creating commercial infrastructure rather than essential infrastructure for citizens. He even suggested that the government should explore land options outside Mumbai for tourism development and IT parks.
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