MMRDA waits for new Coastal Zone Mgmt Plan

The scheme will be based on the rules listed under Coastal Regulation Zone

The total measurement of salt pan land available for development will be known once the new Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) is prepared. The plan will be based on the rules listed under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 2011.

Once the plan is submitted by the government, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will prepare a master plan based on maps of the wetland areas, mangroves, nondevelopment and development zone on the salt pan land. The master plan will be based on new Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules of 2017, new CZMP and Mumbai Development Plan (DP) 2034. Once the CZMP is prepared, the authority would need to collect the latest updated maps from Wetland department and the DP 2034.

The new DP of 2034 has proposed utilising salt pan lands for affordable housing. There is at least 5379 acres of salt pan land available in the city and the civic body has earmarked at least 330 hectares of salt pan land for affordable housing.

“All the data collected would be superimposed (overlaid) on the new map from citys development plan 2034 in order to know the available area. Later, a master plan which would list the development and non-development zone on the citys salt pan land will be prepared,” said a senior MMRDA official. Based on these findings, MMRDA would submit the second status report to the government. Once the plan is approved by the government, the area available for development on salt pan land will be known.

In 2016, the MMRDA prepared its first status report for salt pan land based on the previous CRZ rules of 1991, DP 1991 and Wetland (Conservation and Management) rules of 2010.

“A new CRZ rule of 2011 was published few months later after the first status report was submitted by us. The 2016 status report was prepared based on the old rules. Hence a CZMP is being prepared based on the new rules and the notification is set to be submitted to us at the earliest,” added the official. The MMRDA officials are yet to receive a notification from the civic body which will give a clear picture on area available for development.