DP 2034 to focus on social equity: Mumbai civic chief

BMC chief Ajoy Mehta said the Development Plan is expected to add services for senior citizens, homeless shelters and increase accessibility for the differently abled

The development plan 2034 for Mumbai will concentrate on the social equity, said Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Ajoy Mehta in a presentation on “Making Mumbai Work” at the three-day BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave, 2016, at a hotel here.

The civic chief said reservation will be made in each administrative ward for multi-purpose housing, which will be a mix of a hostel and rental housing for working women, care centres and affordable housing for women. Mehta also assured reservation of vending areas especially for women.

The DP is also expected to add services for senior citizens, homeless shelters and also increase accessibility for the differently abled.

This comes after the draft DP was criticised for total absence of gender perspective in planning Mumbai of future.

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In the presentation, Mehta concentrated on the challenges in Mumbai and listed affordable housing, lack of open spaces, employment generation and lack of social equality as some of the major challenges facing the city.

The coastal road project, which has been opposed by many in the city for being “elitist”, Mehta called it “completely inclusive” with introduction of buses on the coastal road and not just cars, addition of green spaces and access to all. “It will add another traveling corridor to the city and it will be toll-free.”

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About affordable housing, Mehta touched upon the controversial floor space index in the DP but skirted direct commitment. “We are trying to strike a balance between horizontal and vertical development of the city. To make it more inclusive, the DP is in public domain at each stage,” he said.