256-acre salt pan gets Maharashtra nod for Dharavi rehabilitation

Srinivas explained that the land is to the west of the Eastern Expressway, away from creeks, wetlands, or any other place that attracts migratory birds, and hence is not within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). “The project will comply with all environmental norms and take off only after the necessary green clearances are obtained,” he added.

Salt pan land has long been part of Mumbai’s urban development plans. The city’s Development Plan 2034 had earmarked these areas for affordable housing. In 2007, the Congress-led state government had proposed using over 2,000 hectares of such land to resettle those displaced by infrastructure projects. Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had also remarked that Mumbai’s redevelopment would be impossible without utilizing salt pan lands.

The DRP’s land use plan follows other precedents. The Excise and Customs Department of the Central Government has already constructed an office and residential complex on 55 acres of salt pan land in Wadala. Similarly, 15 acres at Kanjur have been reserved for the car shed of Metro Line 6. The earlier MVA government had even decided to utilise the land at Kanjur for a shared car shed for four metro lines.

“It beats logic that if car sheds don’t cause flooding, why would homes for the poor? Those opposing the use of salt pan land lack a long-term vision for Mumbai’s growth,” said a spokesperson from the Dharavi project’s private partner, Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL).

Srinivas clarified that the land is being transferred from the Centre to the Maharashtra government, and the title will always remain with the state.

“The Government of India (GoI) has made over this land to the Government of Maharashtra (GoM), which is being transferred to DRP/SRA–GoM for resettling ineligible Dharavikars. All parcels of land will be with the state government always,” he explained.