SRA completes numbering of huts in Nehru Nagar slum at Juhu airport

It is part of biometric survey to rehabilitate slum-dwellers near the airport

The survey is being conducted by Deputy Collector and an appointed private agency Mahaonline to collect documents of the slum families

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has completed numbering of hutments at Nehru Nagar slums on Juhu airport land which is as a part of door to door biometric survey being conducted in the area. This survey began after the authority received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to begin the survey in order to take a decision to rehabilitate the slum dwellers around the airport.

The authority received the NOC from AAI in December 2016 and the authority issued a letter to the SRA chief stating the rehabilitations of the slum dwellers surrounding the Juhu airport would be decided after the biometric survey of the slums have been completed.

The survey began in the month of early January this year. The survey is being conducted by Deputy Collector and an appointed private agency Mahaonline to collect documents of the slum families. “There are a total number of more than 5000 hutments in the Nehru Nagar slums. Out of this, at least 33 hutments have been numbered and the biometric survey of more than 1500 families have been completed,” said a senior SRA official.

The Nehru Nagar slum is being divided into two clusters namely Juhu and Vile Parle. These slum clusters are spread in an area measuring at least 38 acres. “The deputy collector in Bandra had issued to begin the survey from January onwards. Till now, at least 5000 hutments have been numbered and door to door survey of more than 2053 families have been completed in slums of Vile Parle,” added the official. In Juhu, numbering of at least 971 hutments and door to door survey of at least 837 slum dwellers have been completed till date. The survey was stopped for two days from March 3 onwards as three members from the survey team were dismissed from the service after being accused in the extortion case. “The police are investigating into the case and the concerned Deputy Collector has appointed another surveyor in order to continue the biometric survey,” added the official.

“We have completed numbering of huts in Nehru Nagar and the door to door survey is yet to be completed. Once the survey is completed, the AAI authority would take a decision on the resettlement of the project affected persons in the area,” added the official.