SRA amendment may impact other schemes

Mumbai: If slums built till 2011 are allowed to be rehabilitated, it will add 35 to 40 lakh new houses because of 4 FSI as per policy. The cabinet has approved the decision to amend the Slum Rehabilitation Act (SRA). However, the government decision has been taken sans any study of social impact or load on infrastructure and may adversely affect other redevelopment schemes, said sources in the state housing department.

CM Devendra Fadnavis has taken various housing-related decisions to implement PM Narendra Modi's policy of “housing for all”. As per figures available with the housing and urban development department, there are 52 lakh people living in Mumbai's slums which cover only nine per cent of the city's geographical area. The survey of slums in Mumbai has not been completed, however there are more than 15 to 16 lakh huts in the city that have been built after 2011.

According to the SRA policy, people staying in these dwellings will get houses of 300 square feet after rehabilitation and builders will get an incentive in the form of FSI of 4. Sources said that though builders stand to benefit under the scheme and are constructing bigger flats as part of the sales component, there may still be 35 to 40 lakh new houses built owing to this policy. The high court and Supreme Court has not allowed the government to increase cut-off limit or protection to slums built up to January 1, 2000. To overcome legal issues, the government is now saying that it will not increase cut-off or give protection to illegal huts but will instead give houses to illegal slum dwellers who have been there since January 1, 2011, or before.

Meanwhile, housing department officials are opposing these changes as there has been no study of social impact and it will affect other redevelopment schemes. It will put tremendous pressure on the already overburdened city infrastructure which includes drinking water, traffic and garbage disposal. Other areas which do not have slums for residential purposes but are being used for commercial purposes will be considered as slum areas and builders will get the benefit of 4 FSI.