In boost to redevelopment in western suburbs, Devendra Fadnavis launches scheme for Mumbai’s restricted areas

Fadnavis also announced the relocation of high-frequency radar centres located at Dahisar and Juhu to enable the redevelopment of buildings in these areas.

In a statement in the Legislative Assembly, Fadnavis said that through this new scheme, a free Floor Space Index (FSI) of up to 300 sq ft will be provided for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS). Furthermore, the scheme provides for the free-of-cost reconstruction of tenements up to 600 sq ft for Lower Income Group (LIG) individuals.

The necessary incentive FSI will be granted for this purpose, while the basic FSI rights of the original land owners will remain unaffected. It is planned that the unconsumed FSI will be made available in the form of transferable development rights or TDR, which will enable the raising of funds for the redevelopment projects.

Any incentives, premiums, or ancillary benefits will remain applicable in this new scheme. “This new scheme is expected to make all redevelopment projects in the Greater Mumbai area feasible and thus boost all redevelopment initiatives…This new scheme will make previously unviable redevelopment projects, such as those near the Juhu Military complex and the Kandivali-Malad COD complex, viable, providing significant relief to the residents of those areas,” said Fadnavis.

On the high-frequency radar centres at Dahisar and Juhu, he said, “Redevelopment of buildings in the areas surrounding these radar centres is currently impossible due to height restrictions imposed by the centres. To resolve this, the government has decided to relocate these high-frequency radar centres to other technically suitable locations.”

According to his statement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Centre, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have agreed to relocate the Dahisar radar to Gorai. “The Maharashtra government has expressed its readiness to bear the cost of this relocation and provide the alternate land to the Government of India. The land in Gorai will be transferred to the Government of India free of charge. In return, the AAI will utilise 50 per cent of its land in Dahisar for a public garden,” the statement added.

The Maharashtra government has suggested an alternate site for the Juhu radar to the AAI’s technical team. Once the technical study is completed and the alternate location is selected, the process for approving the relocation of the centre will commence, easing the redevelopment of buildings in the Dahisar and Juhu (D N Nagar) areas.