For the sake of environment, please don't turn saltpan land into buildings

It shows the total insensitivity of the Maharashtra government towards the environmental concerns. It seems its only concern is the developers and the construction mafia.

In a decision that will prove to be catastrophic as far as environment is concerned, the state government has decided to release a whopping 2,177 hectares of saltpan land in Mumbai for redevelopment. The state government is planning to give this land to private developers for slum rehabilitation projects in lieu of incentives.

As per the plan, the long stretch of land would be handed over to private developers for rehabilitating slum colonies, and in return they would be given incentives like commercial exploitation of a part of the land, or additional floor space index for the developer’s other projects.

But, the environmentalists in the city are up in arms and are demanding a shift in the policy on environmental concerns. Allowing construction activity on saltpan land will lead to floods. The saltpans, spread across the city, are providing cushioning by holding back water during high tides in small puddles and releasing it back into the sea.

The state government's argument is that if saltpans remain unattended, they would be illegally encroached upon, as salt extracting is a defunct business. To buttress the stand, it was pointed out that 460 hectares were already illegally occupied. Hence, a self-finance scheme was worked out for the relocation of slum colonies that were occupying the state’s and Centre’s prime properties and hampering large infrastructure projects like the airport and port expansion.

But, echoing the voice raised by the environmentalists, the central government has also raised concern over the issue.