Use of Salt Pan Land for Housing: Ecological and Urban Planning Concerns in Mumbai

Use of Salt Pan Land for Housing: Ecological and Urban Planning Concerns in Mumbai

Sub: Geo

Sec: Eco geo

Why in News

The Maharashtra government has recently allocated 255.9 acres of salt pan land in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs for the construction of rental housing as part of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. This decision has sparked controversy among urban planners and environmentalists, who emphasize the ecological importance of salt pans as natural flood defences and the potential environmental impact of their use for intensive development activities.

What are Salt Pan Lands?

Salt pans are low-lying lands where seawater flows during certain times and evaporates, leaving behind salt and minerals.

Ecosystem Role: Salt pans, alongside mangroves, play a crucial role in protecting Mumbai from flooding.

National Distribution: Across India, 60,000 acres of land are classified as salt pans, spread across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat, and Karnataka. Andhra Pradesh holds the largest share with 20,716 acres, followed by Tamil Nadu (17,095 acres) and Maharashtra (12,662 acres).

Regulation: As per the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 2011, these ecologically sensitive areas fall under the CRZ-1B category, where economic activities are restricted, except for salt extraction and natural gas exploration.

Distribution of Salt Pan Lands in Mumbai: Mumbai has 5,378 acres designated as salt pan lands, which is nine times the size of the Dharavi slum.

Why Are Mumbai’s Salt Pans at Risk?

High Land Demand: Mumbai’s limited land drives development into salt pans.

Housing Projects: Salt pans are being used for affordable housing under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

Regulatory Evasion: Attempts are being made to bypass Coastal Regulation Zone restrictions.

Flood Risk: Salt pans help prevent flooding; their destruction increases flood risks.

Ecosystem Threat: Salt pans support biodiversity and flood control, making their loss impactful.

Policy Contradiction: Development projects conflict with climate action plans aimed at flood prevention.

The Maharashtra government has allocated 255.9 acres of salt pan land for housing under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

These land parcels are divided into three major tracts:

• 120.5 acres at Arthur Salt Works, Kanjur
• 76.9 acres at Jenkins Salt Works, Kanjur and Bhandup
• 58.5 acres at Jamasp Salt Works, Mulund

What is Dharavi Redevelopment Project:

The state had envisaged this sprawl be transformed into a cluster of high-rises with improved urban infrastructure. It entailed resettling 68,000 people, including slum dwellers and those with commercial establishments.

The state was to provide 300-sqft houses for free to residents with proof that their slum structure was in existence before January 1, 2000. The project was initially mooted in 2004, but never got off the ground due to various reasons.

More about Dharavi:

Dharavi is famous as one of the world’s largest slums and is located in the heart of India’s financial capital Mumbai.

The Dharavi slum came into being in 1884.

It was originally inhabited by fisherfolk when the area was still creeks and swamps.

It became attractive to migrant workers from South Mumbai and others when the swamp began to fill in due to natural and artificial causes.