Skip to main content

Mumbai authorities "ignore" livelihood issues in new "affordable" housing offer, large-scale slum eviction feared

By Our Representative
Two well-known Mumbai-based non-profits working among the city's urban poor, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan (GBGBA) and Habitat and Livelihood Welfare Association (HLWA), have alleged that "thousands of housing of poor in Mumbai are under threat of eviction" following the "much hyped" decision of the authorities to come up with the Development Plan or DP 2034.
Released by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), one of its main features is claimed to be the intention to create "affordable housing stock to address the problem of housing paucity for the poor in the city."
However, GBGBA-HLWA, in a statement, say that "the definition of affordability is merely based on two parameters -- size and cost", though actually "affordability in real sense of the term needs to be defined in terms of cost, tenement size, livability, sustainability and adequacy."
According to GBGBA-HLWA, "Construction or redevelopment of new buildings is not the only means by which affordable housing can be attained. Rather up-gradation and retrofitting of slums are also a means of achieving it."
The non-profits add, "It is very important to ensure that the share of land for the poor in the city does not further shrink. This is of utmost importance when approximately 42% of the city's population lives in slums."
Say GBGBA-HLWA, "The houses currently available (both by Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority or MHADA and private sector) under the affordable housing segment out-prices not just the lower income group (LIG) and economically weaker sections (EWS) but the middle income group (MIG) category too."
Believes GBGBA-HLWA, "The prevalent minimum price for housing under the affordable housing segment is such that it excludes a huge chunk of the population to take benefits of this feature of DP 2034. These exclusionary practices make the poorest of poor citizen of the city perpetually vulnerable to demolition of their self-built housing/hutments."
"For instance", the non-profits point out, "A huge settlement of poor comprising of 600 household in Cheeta Camp near Trombay is scheduled to be demolished in the first week of May this year. All the residents of this settlement possess ration card which record their annual income less than Rs 1 lakh."
They add, "None of the housing in the present affordable housing segment is available either in Mumbai or the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) can be availed by persons belonging to this income category. In the foreseeable future therefore we see homelessness on the rise due to anticipated demolitions."
Noting that "affordable housing is not the only solution to address the problem of housing", GBGBA-HLWA say, "Housing built under affordable housing scheme most of the time ends up serving merely as an asset and not the housing solution."
Underlining that "housing cannot be looked in complete isolation, it is very much linked with livelihood", the non-profits say,"Given high value of in the city most of the affordable housing has been constructed in the fringes of MMR region which adds to the drudgery of travelling work place and daily affair adding increased health spending and high stress levels."
This apart, GBGBA-HLWA say, there is "not much clarity on the accompanying infrastructure which is necessary to absorb the pressure due to increased floor space index (FSI)." They add, "The maximum FSI of 5 granted for commercial purposes and 4 for residential purposes will create huge burden on the already congested city."
Contend GBGBA-HLWA, "Increasing FSI for redevelopment of Bombay Development Department BDD chawls will again start re-congesting the island city. With no proper arrangements for infrastructures like parking, water facilities etc., the quality of life is bound to deteriorate."
"In the garb of creating affordable housing stock, non-development zones and salt pans are being converted to special development zone to allow entry of real estate led exploitation of these eco-sensitive areas", say GBGBA-HLWA, adding, "While on the other hand, in the absence of a practical plan, the space for the poorest of the poor in the city still remain a question amidst claims for sabka sath sabka vikas."

Comments

Uma said…
In today's ToI it is mentioned that the area for affordable housing is not specified. The builders will take advantage which, I suppose, is the purpose of the whole exercise. After all, the government has to think of state elections next year

TRENDING

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra*  The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Victim of communal violence, Christians in Manipur want Church leadership to speak up

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  The first eleven days of May 2023 have, in many ways, been a defining period of Indian history! Plenty has happened in a rapid-fire stream of events. Ironically, each one of them are indicators of how crimes and the criminalisation of society has become the ‘new norm’; these include, the May Day rallies with a focus on the four labour codes which are patently against the rights of workers; the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report on 1 May stating that conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen in 2022”; the continued protest by the Indian women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for the expulsion of the chief of the Indian Wrestlers Federation on very serious allegations; the Elections in Karnataka on 10 May (with communalism and corruption as the mainstay); the release of the fake, derogative and insensitive film ‘The Kerala Story’; the release of World Free Press Index on 3 May which places India

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas*  In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam*  The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

India joining US sponsored trade pillar to hurt Indian farmers, 'promote' GM seeds, food

Counterview Desk  As many as 32 civil society organisations (CSOs), in a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and India joining the trade pillar, have said that its provisions will allow the US to ensure a more favourable regulatory regime “for enhancing its exports of genetically modified (GM) seeds and GM food”, underlining, it will “significantly hurt the livelihoods of Indian farmers.”

Polygamy in India "down" in 45 yrs: Muslims' from 5.7 to 2.55%, Hindus' 5.8 to 1.77%, "common" in SCs, STs

By Rajiv Shah Amidst All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) justifying polygamy, saying it “meets social and moral needs and the provision for it stems from concern and sympathy for women”, facts suggest the the practice is down from 5.7 per cent of Muslim families in 1961 to 2.55 per cent in 2006.

Modi govt 'wholly untrustworthy' on Covid data, censored criticism on pandemic: Lancet

By Rajiv Shah   One of the world’s most prestigious health journals, brought out from England, has sharply criticised the Narendra Modi government for being “wholly untrustworthy on Covid-19 health data”, stating, the “official government figures place deaths at more than 530 000, while WHO excess death estimates for 2020 and 2021 are near 4·7 million.”