BMC’s blueprint is incomplete: citizen groups

Activists have long-demanded the BMC mark religious structures, slums, heritage precincts and gaothans -- which have been missing from the plan.

A day before the deadline to submit objections to the development plan (DP) 2034 ends, the Apna Mumbai Abhiyaan, a group of 37 citizens’ organisations, said the city’s 20-year blueprint is incomplete, with insufficient data.

Until Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received 7,896 objections, of which 1,218 objections were filed on Thursday.(HT Photo)

Citizens had a window of 60-day to submit their suggestions/objections on the plan. The last day is July 29. Until Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received 7,896 objections, of which 1,218 objections were filed on Thursday.

The groups presented their objections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in five reports. The Abhiyaan said the BMC’s affordable housing plan is a “token gesture”, as it has not demarcated the land to be used for it in the maps. PK Das, architect and activist said, “The maps do not show the actual plots demarcated for affordable housing. The data on mangroves doesn’t align with other government agencies. It is an incomplete plan.”

Read: DP: Speak up before it’s too late

Activists from the group also objected to the clause that allows the authorities to incorporate any changes in transport alignments directly to the plan. Hema Ramani, from the Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG), said, “The plan says it is a cumbersome process otherwise. In a democratic set-up, you have to take the interests of people from the city into account.”

Activists have long-demanded the BMC mark religious structures, slums, heritage precincts and gaothans -- which have been missing from the plan.

However, a senior civic official said these places have been marked in the existing land use (ELU) maps of the city. The official said, “The proposed land-use (PLU) maps are the vision for the city. If the structures have been marked in the ELU, it is still part of the DP.”

Members from the Aarey Conservation Group have demanded the 800 hectares marked as no-development zones (NDZ) be marked as “natural areas”, where no construction will be permitted. Priya Mishra from the group said, “The DP does not mention illegal slums on the NDZ land. It is possible these slums will be rehabilitated in the same area, which will densify Aarey.”