SRA BIOMETRIC SURVEY OF slums in Bandra, Ghatkopar and Colaba is underway

Ongoing process to clear encroachments on central govt lands

The SRA has completed numbering of 2,635 hutments in one area and at least 54,000 hutments on lands owned by the Airports Authority of India in Bandra

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has begun a door-to-door biometric survey of slum pockets located around Airports Authority of India (Bandra), Indian Institute of Technology (near Ghatkopar) and Tata Memorial Centre (Colaba), to clear encroachments on central government lands.

This survey will also help identify slum dwellers eligible for rehabilitation. It is being conducted by a private agency, Mahaonline, and the concerned Deputy Collectors to collect slum dwellers' documents. The survey was begun in September 2017, at Mumbai Port Trust, Colaba.

The SRA has completed numbering of 2,635 hutments in one area and at least 54,000 hutments on lands owned by the Airports Authority of India in Bandra. “We have completed the biometric survey of at least 5,469 hutments on lands owned by the Airport Authority of India in Bandra,” said a senior SRA official. Similarly, the survey has also begun at lands owned by Indian Institute of Technology and Tata Memorial Centre.

“We are in the process of identifying hutments in the area. We have so far identified 1,206 hutments and completed biometric survey of at least 1,075 hutments at lands owned by Indian Institute of Technology, near Ghatkopar,” the official said. Officials have completed numbering of at least 813 hutments and completed biometric of at least 744 hutments on lands owned by Tata Memorial Centre near Colaba.

Mumbai Port Trust in Colaba, Indian Institute of Technology in Powai, Customs Department in Bandra and several lands along western/central railways are other areas currently under survey. For land owned by Railways, slums located along the railway tracks at Kurla, Dharavi, Chembur and Borivli are being surveyed.

“We have completed biometric survey of at least 1,232 hutments in Kurla, at least 570 hutments in Dharavi and around 2880 hutments in Chembur. After this, the list of slum dwellers eligible for rehabilitation will be identified,” added the official. Once this list is ready, authorities will take a final decision on providing rehabilitation to slum dwellers from these areas.