Following the announcement of implementation of cluster development project in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) by urban development minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday, the demand for cluster in Diva has gained momentum.
The suburb, which has not seen any development in the past many years, can be developed in a planned manner through cluster development, said residents and elected representatives.
On Thursday when chief minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated the cluster development scheme at Kisannagar, Shinde and housing minister Jitendra Awhad announced that the cluster scheme will be implemented in Diva too.
On Friday, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s member of legislative assembly Pramod (Raju) Patil, met civic commissioner Sanjeev Jasiwal, to speed up the Diva plan. Since most areas in Diva is under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), the civic commissioner said that they would conduct a survey of Diva in eight days and decide if any sub-cluster can be developed in the first phase.
Later, Patil told mediapersons: “During monsoon last year, Diva was flooded due to the illegal and unplanned development of the city. People need safe homes. Diva has not seen any infrastructure development and civic amenities have not been upgraded. All these can be provided under the cluster development scheme.”
{{/usCountry}}Later, Patil told mediapersons: “During monsoon last year, Diva was flooded due to the illegal and unplanned development of the city. People need safe homes. Diva has not seen any infrastructure development and civic amenities have not been upgraded. All these can be provided under the cluster development scheme.”
{{/usCountry}}The scheme will also resolve the issue of property tax defaulter in Diva, said Avinash Jadhav, district president of MNS. “The property tax collection in Diva is the lowest. By providing legal housing stock in Diva, the property tax collection will also increase.”
Diva is one of the eight clusters in the scheme with an area of 201 hectares.
TMC has planned four Urban Development Plans (URP) — Diva 1, Diva 2, Shil and Sabe. This is one of the biggest cluster in TMC limit. But, the developable area is only 14% as most of it is in coastal zone.
Rohidas Munde, president of Save Diva Foundation, said, “Diva needs cluster much more than any other areas of Thane. TMC merely did a satellite survey and demarcated maximum green zone in Diva. What about the residential complexes have come up in Diva in all these years? If TMC would have developed Diva like other areas of Thane, the suburb would have brought in revenue like Thane.”
Roads in Diva are in pathetic condition. There are no good schools, healthcare, water supply or open spaces. The issue of dumping waste is unresolved, affecting the residents’ health.
In August last year, more than 10,000 people were stuck in floods in Diva.
Activists said destruction of mangroves for illegal constructions led to the situation.
Shyam Pandey, 48, a resident of Diva, said, “There are many residents who are unaware that their homes were illegal. We were duped by developers who sold flats at cheaper prices. We could not afford a house in Thane or any big city so settled in Diva. If illegal buildings in Thane can get relief under cluster, the same justice should be given to all of us.”
A TMC official said cluster development of Diva is in the pipeline. “The civic commissioner has given directives to carry out the survey of the coastal zone and find out the financial viability of Diva in eight days,” he said.
“We can develop some parts of Diva like a sub-cluster in the first phase. The real estate in Diva is also not lucrative, thus it will be difficult to convince developers to invest in cluster scheme. We will have to consider certain incentives in terms of using transfer and development right from Thane to attract takers for the scheme,” he added.