Slums not missing from DP, says BMC

MUMBAI: As experts and activists questioned the BMC’s move not to show large part of slums in the revised draft Development Plan 2034, the civic body sought to justify

MUMBAI: As experts and activists questioned the BMC’s move not to show large part of slums in the revised draft Development Plan 2034, the civic body sought to justify its action.

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It said slums cannot be a proposed land use and marking reservations on the land is an old practice, also present in 1991 DP.

The civic officials said that slums are not missing from the DP and that it had been included in existing land use (ELU) survey carried out in 2012. However, experts and activists said not demarcating boundaries of slums in the DP will pose problems in city’s development.

The civic body has marked reservations on the existing slums in the city such as gardens, health and educations facilities. The officials said not just the slum dwellers even others will benefit through these reservations as there will be an increase in public amenities.

A c iv i c official said: “Reservation on a slum does not mean that the slum has gone missing. As and when redevelopment takes place, public amenities will also be developed.”

The civic officials said the slum-mapping is being done by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority independently.

“While the civic body has agreed to the existence of koliwadas (fishing villages), then why miss out marking the boundaries of slums in the DP? The outline of the slums should be shown in the DP,” said Pankaj Joshi, executive director of Urban Design Research Institute.