Soon, affordable housing on city’s salt pan lands

The salt pan land​s​ as well as other land​ parcels in Mumbai, owned by departments of the Union Government, will soon be available for affordable housing projects. The State Chief Secretary ​has been​ asked to prepare a master plan for handing over the salt pan lands. The master plan will be sent to the Union government.

The tenth standing committee meeting of the Western Zonal Council chaired by Chief Secretary Sumeet Mullick was held at Sahyadri Guest House on Thursday. Officials from Union Ministry of Home Affairs, state of Gujarat, Goa, and Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli were present at the meeting.

The issue of salt pan lands and lands owned by various central departments was discussed at Thursday’s meeting. Chief Secretary Mullick has been given the responsibility of holding a meeting to prepare a detailed master plan for the hand over of these lands. The proposal will be sent to the Union government so that these lands can be utilised for affordable housing schemes.

Salt pan lands are spread all over Mumbai in areas like Dahisar, Goregaon, Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, Nahur, Ghatkopar, Turbhe, Chembur, Wadala, Anik and Mandale. There is a total of 5,379 acres of salt pan land in Mumbai. In addition to this, there are lands of other Union government departments which will also be sought for affordable housing schemes.

Mullick informed the meeting that 95 per cent Aadhaar seeding is completed in the state of Maharashtra. The meeting also discussed various issues pertaining to housing development, ports, taxation, health and vaccination.

...& ANALYSIS

• Mumbai, where open land is not available in abundance and every project’s biggest hurdle is land acquisition, the salt pan lands will prove to be a big boon for affordable housing programmes
   
• However, it will not be possible to utilise 100 per cent of the salt pan lands as there exist issues such as CRZ