Gorai-Manori belt may see sudden construction boom

Devendra Fadnavis lifts restrictions on building activities in areas excluded from the DP

There is likely to be a sudden construction boom in the Gorai-Manori belt, with hotels, resorts and recreation facilities coming up along the seafront in north Mumbai.

The Manori beach (Hindustan Times)

With approval from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to lift restrictions on construction in parts of the Gorai-Manori-Uttan belt excluded from the development plan, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to start considering construction proposals.

This means you can expect hotels, resorts and recreational facilities mushrooming in the 43sqkm belt in the near future.

MMRDA commissioner UPS Madan said, “Restrictions on contruction in areas excluded from the DP have been lifted, so we can now give permission for construction in the area. We will allot floor space index (FSI) to a particular plot in accordance with the provisions of the DP. We have not received any proposals so far.”

After the idea was first mooted in 2004, the MMRDA was appointed as SPA for the area. It will sanction all the building plans for the region.

According to the DP, a minimum FSI of 0.1 and a maximum of 1 is permitted in the region. Gaothans will be given FSI of 1, while resorts are expected to get FSI of 0.3 to 0.5, and green zones an FSI of 0.1.

A major portion of the region falls in either the coastal regulation zone 1 (CRZ-1), with the remaining areas divided equally between CRZ-II and CRZ-lll.

The region has popular tourist spots such as Pagoda, and amusement parks and pristine beaches at Manori and Uttan. According to the MMRDA’s plan, resorts, waterparks, seashore promenades, water sports facilities and other recreational centres will be built to give Mumbai residents a place to get away from the bustling city.

Meanwhile, local residents and activists have expressed concern over the possibility of haphazard construction in the area. Although they have accepted the construction of creek bridges, they are opposed to widening a road, built through mangroves, which connects Bhayender with the area. They fear it will bring a large area under CRZ-II, which would allow for a higher FSI.

Activist Godfrey Pimenta said, “If the road is constructed, the door to more FSI will be opened automatically. We do not want haphazard urbanisation of the area. The state government has approved the area as a tourism zone without listening to our suggestions and complaints.”