Latest news with #SlumRehabilitationAuthority
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Realtors oppose TDR share for Janta Vasahat land
Pune: The decision of Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to grant full transfer of development rights (TDR) for land in Janta Vasahat, near Parvati Hill, has been met with opposition from realtors who called it an alleged violation of development regulations. Realtors oppose TDR share for Janta Vasahat land The area falls under the Hill Top–Hill Slope zone, where rules permit only 0.8% TDR. However, SRA in May this year approved 100% TDR, valued at ₹763.39 crore, for the 1.92 lakh sqm plot — an unprecedented decision that has raised questions from some real estate developers about procedural compliance. Satish Khadke, CEO, Slum Regulatory Authority, said, 'I have recently taken charge. I will gather details and examine any objections raised. The matter will be verified.' According to officials, SRA intended to acquire the land from its original owner by compensating with TDR before developing a housing scheme. However, given that Janta Vasahat is Pune's largest slum, implementing such a redevelopment project poses major logistical challenges. The proposal first came before SRA in January this year but was not approved at that stage. It was later forwarded to the state government's housing department, which directed SRA to grant 100% TDR compensation. Sources said the total market value of the TDR awarded amounts to ₹763.39 crore — a massive windfall compared to what would have been permissible under existing hill zone regulations.
Hindustan Times
26-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
To make city slum-free, all slums to be surveyed by year-end
Mumbai: The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) is working on completing the survey of all slums in the city by the end of this year, with an eye on creating a reliable databank for future slum rehabilitation projects and curbing the emergence of new, illegal slum settlements. The survey, incorporating biometric details of slum residents and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, will help make Mumbai slum-free, said officials. (Hindustan Times) 'We have set a target of completing the survey of all slums in Mumbai by December 31,' said Dr Mahendra Kalyankar, chief executive officer, SRA. The authority will rope in specialised agencies over and above two agencies it currently relies on to complete the work on time, he added. The decision to finish the survey this year was taken during a review meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on June 12, wherein he directed officials to accelerate the exercise. The SRA had, via a drone survey in 2021, identified 2,597 slum clusters across Mumbai, which were differentiated into 13,79,086 slum settlements. Till Thursday, Pioneer Foundation Private Limited and Saar IT Resources Private Limited – two agencies which conduct surveys on behalf of the SRA – had conducted door-to-door surveys in 5,75,136 slum settlements while another 8,03,950 slum settlements remained to be surveyed. 'Since over 8 lakh slums have to be surveyed in about five months, we will appoint more agencies by floating a tender,' said an SRA official. Around 1.4 lakh of the settlements that remain to be surveyed are located on plots owned by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and both agencies are conducting separate surveys as well, the official mentioned. 'Once completed, our survey will provide comprehensive information about all slums in the city and prevent any new addition,' the SRA official told HT. Slums that spring up after the survey can be identified easily, which will help in initiating punitive action, he said. 'It will also prevent any attempt by developers to add fake tenants in SRA projects,' he added. According to the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, residents of slums built until January 1, 2000 must be provided free rehabilitation tenements when they are evicted. In May 2018, during Devendra Fadnavis' first term as chief minister, the cut-off date for rehabilitation was extended to January 1, 2011, but it was mandated that those residing in slums built between 2001 and 2011 would not be eligible for free rehabilitation, following a Supreme Court decision.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Amid crackdown, SRA collects 1,386cr rent from bldrs in 3 yrs; 646cr still due
Mumbai: In a major crackdown on builders defaulting on payment of rent to slumdwellers, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has collected dues of Rs 1,386 crore in nearly three years—Rs 601 crore under regular schemes, Rs 134 crore under its amnesty scheme and Rs 650 crore under a new circular that requires builders to deposit advance rent for two years with the agency. As per data released by SRA, of the Rs 880-crore rent dues from regular projects, Rs 279 crore is yet to be collected, and the total dues from 23 projects under the amnesty scheme has dropped from Rs 501 crore to Rs 367 crore. The data was released on the heels of the state legislature passing an amendment to Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, that would allow SRA to attach a company's property or that of its directors/partners if it doesn't have sufficient assets, sell it and pay the money as rent to slumdwellers. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai SRA CEO Mahindra Kalyankar said that the amendment would help fact-track SRA schemes and make sure that slumdwellers get their rent on time. "We have given a big push to collect all pending rents from builders so that slumdwellers don't suffer. While SRA is fast-tracking slum redevelopment, we are focusing on slum tenants and making sure that they get their dues and projects are completed on time. We have made several policy interventions for this and recent amendments made are a step in this direction," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa Prices in Dubai Might Be Lower Than You Think! Villa for sale in Dubai | Search Ads Learn More Undo Officials said once the amended Act is enforced, govt will have the option of pursuing various legal processes to recover land revenue arrears, including serving notices, attaching properties and even imprisonment of defaulters. "Under Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, govt can attach and sell a defaulter's movable and immovable property to recover dues. In some cases, the bank accounts or lockers of a defaulter may be attached. Right now, SRA can only issue stop-work notices to the builder for not paying rent or stop giving new permissions. There is no deterrent of any kind beyond that and because of this, builders don't pay rent," an official said.
Scroll.in
22-07-2025
- Business
- Scroll.in
‘Want development but not at the cost of our lives': Why Dharavi rehabilitation is leading to fear
Mohan Lal Jain, a 71-year-old material scrap dealer, has been living in Dharavi, a Mumbai neighbourhood, for nearly five decades. Years ago, his shop was demolished to make way for a water pipeline. As compensation, he was offered a shop in Kandivali, almost 23 kilometres away. But hasn't been making any profits. And now he fears the situation with his earlier shop will repeat as officials have marked his Kandivali shop with a unique number under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. 'There is a lot of uncertainty and a lack of clarity regarding the rehabilitation,' Jain says. 'I still don't know if I will have my livelihood or not. My house hasn't been surveyed yet. I live in a flat, but I am unsure if my wife and I will even have a roof above us.' In 2024, the Maharashtra government unveiled an ambitious plan to transform Dharavi's 620 acres into a modern urban hub. The project is being executed by Navabharat Mega Developers Private Limited, a joint venture between the government's Slum Rehabilitation Authority and the Adani Group's Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Limited. While the plan promises formal housing for eligible residents and commercial opportunities for developers, it leaves out around 50,000 to 100,000 residents, labelled 'ineligible' for lacking proper documentation. Many of these people are slated for relocation to other areas, including a 124-acre plot within Mumbai's Deonar dumping ground. Other proposed sites for ineligible residents include Mother Dairy land in Kurla, salt pan land in Mulund, near Aksa Beach in Malad, Arthur Salt Work land in Kanjurmarg, and Jenkins Salt Work land off the Eastern Express Highway. When asked if Jain would be willing to shift from Dharavi to the Deonar relocation site, he refused and said, 'Mumbai's waste goes to the Deonar dumping ground. If Dharavi's people are shifted there, we will die of health issues. Does the government work to kill people? My friends who live in Govandi (where Deonar dumping ground is located) are often seen visiting hospitals quite frequently.' Life at the landfill Jain's fear is not unfounded. Deonar, located in Mumbai's eastern suburbs, houses Asia's largest dumping ground. A 13-storey mountain of waste, this has been operational since 1927 and holds nearly 18.5 million tonnes of legacy waste. Each day, around 600 tonnes of new waste is dumped here. A Central Pollution Control Board report submitted to the National Green Tribunal in 2024 states that the landfill emits more than 6,202 kg of methane per hour, ranking it among the top 22 methane emission hotspots in India. These emissions, along with periodic fires and leachate seepage, pose major health risks for nearby residents. Although high concrete walls surround the landfill, a significant portion of the Deonar area is inhabited by settlements. Adjacent to the landfill is Baiganwadi, a locality where 56-year-old Mukeem Shaikh has lived for 12 years. Dependent on her son, she cannot afford to move elsewhere. 'We're used to the toxic fumes in the air. Before the concrete walls were built, I had frequent skin allergies. Throat problems were common because of the fires. Even now, we deal with dirty water, foul smells during the rains, and smoke from the biomedical plant,' she says. The biomedical waste treatment plant is located near the dumping ground and less than a kilometre away from Baiganwadi. Mumbai's M-East municipal ward, where Deonar is located, has the lowest life expectancy among all the wards in Mumbai – less than 40 years, nearly half the national average. Residents frequently report respiratory ailments, cancer, and waterborne diseases, many linked to polluted groundwater and poor air quality. Some residents near the SMS biomedical treatment plant, about a kilometre away, are reluctant to speak on record but share deep concerns about the toxic fumes. The plant is now scheduled to be relocated to Jambhivali in Raigad district, around 70 km away from the present location. A study commissioned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation found severe contamination at the landfill. The report, released in May 2025, showed that leachate samples from the site exceeded Central Pollution Control Board limits by significant margins. The Biochemical Oxygen Demand level was 390 mg/l (permissible: 100 mg/l for land, 30 mg/l for water); Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was 1,002 mg/l (limit: 250 mg/l); and Total Dissolved Solids was 6,550 mg/l (limit: 2,100 mg/l). The study was made public shortly after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation announced a Rs 23.68 billion bioremediation plan to clean up the site over the next three years. Earlier relocation A few kilometres from the Deonar dumping ground lies Natwar Parekh Compound in Govandi, offering a glimpse into the struggles faced by those previously rehabilitated near a landfill. In 2008, Parveen Shaikh, a 46-year-old community social worker, was resettled here along with many others after road expansion forced her eviction from the footpaths of Sewri. 'It was the 14th of May, 2008 — I remember it clearly,' she recalls. 'We dreamed of having a home, an address, a toilet. We believed life would improve.' Her family was among thousands relocated under the Mahatma Gandhi Path Kranti Yojana, a slum rehabilitation scheme implemented by the civic body. Natwar Parekh Compound, now home to residents from areas such as Sewri, Kurla and Byculla, comprises 61 tightly packed seven-storey buildings. The distance between buildings is barely three metres, allowing little ventilation or light. Within months of moving in, the promise of a better life began to unravel. 'When we lived on the footpath, we had no safety or sanitation, but at least we were healthy,' Parveen says. Over time, health issues became rampant – fevers, typhoid, jaundice, malaria, and particularly tuberculosis. During the monsoons, sewage water mixes with drinking water, leading to stomach infections such as diarrhea and vomiting. Parveen says she had never even heard of migraines before moving to Govandi, but now headaches and dizziness are common. Advocate Shaikh Faiyaz Alam, a local activist and president of the NGO Govandi New Sangham Welfare Society, says, 'Govandi is a densely populated area with over 250 slum pockets. When basic amenities like infrastructure, health, and education are lacking for the existing population, it is difficult to imagine what will happen if people from Dharavi are relocated here. Shifting them to an active dumping ground is a clear violation of human rights and dignity.' Waste-to-energy A new waste-to-energy plant, being built just a few metres from Mukeem Shaikh's home in Deonar, has triggered fresh anxieties in an already polluted and densely populated area. 'We are already living with toxic emissions from the biomedical plant – people here suffer from throat infections, breathing issues, tuberculosis, and skin problems,' she says. 'Now a new plant is coming up right next to our homes. How will we survive?' Set to be commissioned by October 2025, the Rs 26.48 billion waste-to-energy plant has been awarded to Chennai MSW Pvt. Ltd. It is expected to process 600 metric tonnes of fresh waste daily and generate at least 17 million units of electricity annually. While proponents of the waste-to-energy plant present it as a necessary infrastructure upgrade, many question its feasibility and warn that it could worsen the local environment. Arun D Sawant, director of Waste to Energy Research Technology, India, a non-profit research organisation, says the plant is necessary. 'India treats waste as only waste. But combustible waste has energy potential. Given that we don't segregate waste properly or invest in scientific landfills or biomethanation, WtE [waste-to-energy] is the most viable option for India,' he explains. 'The problem is untreated waste itself – it releases silent killers like methane, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, and pollutes our creeks and aquatic life.' But residents of Govandi remain unconvinced. Many fear the waste-to-energy plant will worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma, tuberculosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which are already widespread in the area. Their concerns are not unfounded. Dharmesh Shah, a public policy analyst who has studied waste-to-energy plants extensively, warns that incinerators are a significant source of toxic emissions. 'The waste that goes into an incinerator must be sorted during collection, especially to remove organic matter and materials like chlorinated plastics such as PVC,' he explains. 'These plastics, when burned, release highly toxic dioxins and furans, known carcinogens. Even the best incinerators in Europe struggle with emissions. Any emissions from the upcoming waste-to-energy plant in Deonar, which is likely to be substandard, will spread uncontrollably across nearby areas.' Shah also highlights another overlooked issue: 'Incineration doesn't make the waste disappear. It leaves behind bottom ash that is highly hazardous and requires safe disposal. We are simply creating another problem while failing to solve the original one.' Together, these fears weigh heavily on those who may be relocated near the Deonar dumping ground. For them, being labelled 'ineligible' for staying in Dharavi under the redevelopment plan is not just a bureaucratic classification. It is a life-altering decision that uproots them from livelihoods and community networks, and places them in zones of environmental and public health risk. 'We want development in Dharavi. A better life, yes – but not at the cost of our lives,' says Jain. 'We are for development, if we are allowed to stay where we already live, among our people.'
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Business Standard
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Maharashtra govt passes bill allowing SRA to recover pending transit dues
The Maharashtra Assembly passed a bill amending the Slum Area (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, on Wednesday, which allows the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to recover pending transit rent dues from builders or developers. The amendment bill seeks to treat unpaid rent to slum dwellers as arrears of land revenue, thereby empowering the SRA to initiate recovery proceedings under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (MLRC). As per the proposed amendment, if a defaulting builder lacks sufficient company assets to clear the dues, the liability can extend to the personal property of its directors or partners. Currently, the SRA can issue stop-work notices or deny new permissions to a defaulting developer. The bill also seeks to reduce the window for dissenting slum dwellers to join the SRA schemes - from 120 days to 60 days - once a majority (over 50 per cent) has consented to a redevelopment plan. After 60 days, those who do not join the scheme risk losing their claim to on-site rehabilitation and may only be considered for relocation elsewhere, subject to availability. Another provision of the bill allows land under slum redevelopment to be handed over to government agencies like MMRDA, MHADA, MSRDC, and CIDCO within 30 days of issuing a letter of intent, enabling a faster execution of public sector-led projects.
