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

By A 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

April 28, 2018

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Concerns raised over move to rename MGNREGA, critics call it politically motivated

By A Representative Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

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.

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

School job scam and the future of university degree holders in West Bengal

By Harasankar Adhikari The school recruitment controversy in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most serious governance challenges in recent years, raising concerns about transparency, institutional accountability, and the broader impact on society. Allegations that school jobs were obtained through irregular means have led to prolonged legal scrutiny, involving both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In one instance, a panel for high school teacher recruitment was ultimately cancelled after several years of service, following extended judicial proceedings and debate.

India’s Halal economy 'faces an uncertain future' under the new food Bill

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by seeking to place Halal certification exclusively under government control while criminalising all private Halal certification bodies. Although the Bill claims to promote “transparency” and “standardisation,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalisation, and the systematic dismantling of a long-established, Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

Women’s rights alliance seeks NCW action against Nitish Kumar over public veil incident

By A Representative An alliance of women’s rights activists has urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to initiate legal action against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident at a public function in Patna that they allege amounted to a grave violation of a Muslim woman’s dignity and constitutional rights. In a detailed complaint dated December 18, the All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), part of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), sought the NCW’s immediate intervention following an episode on December 15 during the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors in Patna.

Search This Blog