News Paper DNA 31 st Dec 2010

Centre lifts CRZ curbs, expect building boom

Govt must have 51% stake in slum redevelopment projects which will come under RTI

Sreejiraj Eluvangal NEW DELHI

Mumbai’s coastal stretch may be in for a massive facelift. In a major relief to owners of property along the city’s coastline, the central government has removed the 20-year-old-restriction on construction in the coastal regulation zone (CRZ), the area within 500 metres of the sea.

            The Union environment ministry, in its new notification, has lifted its 1991 order banning construction activity in the CRZ, Now, buildings and slums within the prohibited zone can be rebuilt. However, government agencies will have to hold at least 51% stake in such redevelopment projects.

            “The restrictive nature of the 1991 notification caused hardship to slum dwellers and others living in dilapidated and unsafe buildings in Mumbai,” Jairam Ramesh, minister for environment and forests, said. many buildings in Mumbai have been caught in a time warp for 20 years as repairing, reconstructing or renovating them would have attracted the provisions of the CRZ notification.

            The ministry’s move is likely to be a boon for the slum-dwellers living close to the sea. They have so far been unable to organize themselves into housing societies, assign their land to a developer and move into their own multi-storeyed apartments after a 2-3 years, which is the normal practice in other localities.

            The ministry leaves the floor space index (FSI) – which determines how many floors can be built- to local town and country planning regulations. No new buildings, however, can be built closer to the sea than an existing road or building.

            The new notification requires both slum redevelopment projects as well as other redevelopment projects as well as other redevelopment projects within the 500 meters zone to display “on large notice boards” such details as the number of flats being built, along with the names of the slum - dwellers for whom they are being constructed. The notice board will also show the number of extra flats that will be available for free sale by the builder to recover his construction costs.

Worli village as seen from the Bandra worli sea link. As a Koliwada, this green lung  continues to be a restricted zone –

RELIEF ALONG COASTLINE

¯  Government lifts ban on construction within 500-metre of the coast i.e. the CRZ

¯  It allows reconstruction of existing buildings and redevelopment of slums

¯  However, it says no to new buildings and redevelopment of slums

¯  However, it says no to new buildings closer to the sea than the existing ones

¯  Lifting of ban does not extend to koliwadas or ‘green lungs’

REVIEW OF ALL GREEN LAWS

Under pressure from die-hard advocates of development, environment minister Jairam Ramesh has said that his ministry is reviewing all the major environmental laws of the country.

“All laws are under review. CRZ (coastal regulation zone) is the first one..,” he said, sounding a conciliatory tone to those who have been calling on him to tone down his ‘activism’.