City port trust may free up land for affordable housing

In a move that could free up precious space in a space-starved city, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) is for the first time considering allowing the state government to redevelop some of the old buildings housed on its land.

In a move that could free up precious space in a space-starved city, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) is for the first time considering allowing the state government to redevelop some of the old buildings housed on its land.

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MbPT is the city's largest landowner, with control over a total of 1,800 acres, most of it prime real estate in the island city.

In a meeting held on Thursday with the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada), the port authorities expressed a willingness to allow redevelopment of 1,200 dilapidated buildings housing nearly 25,000 tenants on its land.

Mhada is responsible for the maintenance of these pre-1940 buildings, but the MbPT has never allowed redevelopment.

"Currently, we do not have a policy of redevelopment on MbPT land. Discussions are underway," said port trust chairman Rajeev Gupta.