TAG: GS-3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
THE CONTEXT:
Earlier in September 2024, the Centre approved the transfer of 256 acres of salt pan land in Mumbai to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), a joint venture between Adani Realty Group and the Maharashtra government, for building rental housing for slum dwellers.
Explanation:
What are salt pan lands?
Salt pan lands are low-lying parcels of land where seawater periodically flows in, leaving behind salt and minerals. These lands, particularly in cities like Mumbai, play a vital role in flood protection, along with mangroves. Salt pans help absorb excess water during heavy rains and high tides, preventing flooding in low-lying urban areas.
Key Features of Salt Pan Lands:
- Ecosystem Role: They prevent flooding by absorbing excess rainwater and seawater, acting as natural barriers.
- CRZ Classification: As per the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 2011, salt pan lands are classified under CRZ-1B, which is ecologically sensitive. Only activities like salt extraction and natural gas exploration are allowed, restricting any other economic or developmental activities.
- Extent: Mumbai has around 5,378 acres of salt pan land, about nine times the size of Dharavi. Nationally, salt pan lands cover approximately 60,000 acres, with major stretches in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
- Encroachments: A 2014 study found that 31% of Mumbai’s salt pan lands are in residential and commercial belts, with around 480 acres being encroached upon. It also identified 1,672 acres as “developable.”
Why are Mumbai’s salt pan lands at risk?
Land is at a premium in Mumbai. Salt pans are among the last “undeveloped” parcels of land, thus far protected by the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the stringent CRZ norms. But this has not stopped state governments from trying to acquire these lands from the Centre, for various development projects.
Chief among these has been the development of low-cost housing for Mumbai’s slum-dwellers, a part of former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s plan to create a “slum-free Mumbai”.
- Slum Rehabilitation: Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis proposed using salt pans for relocating slum dwellers under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme.
- Metro Project: Uddhav Thackeray’s government eyed a salt pan in Kanjurmarg for a metro car shed, although this is now paused.
- Current Plans: The Mahayuti government, led by Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, is proposing affordable housing for Dharavi slum dwellers on salt pan lands in Wadala.
Why do salt pans matter?
- Flood Prevention in Low-Lying Areas: Salt pans are situated in low-lying areas and serve as natural reservoirs that collect water during heavy rainfall and high tides, preventing flooding in surrounding regions like Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, and Bhandup.
- Protection Against High Tides: Water from Thane creek flows into the salt pans during high tides. By collecting this excess water, salt pans help mitigate the risk of flooding in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs.
- Role in the 2005 Mumbai Floods: During the 2005 deluge in Mumbai, which saw 944 mm of rainfall in a single day, the eastern suburbs fared relatively better than the western ones, largely due to the presence of salt pans.
- Contradiction with Climate Action Plan: While the government’s Mumbai Climate Action Plan acknowledges climate change risks, the push to develop salt pan lands contradicts this acknowledgment, as salt pans play a key role in preventing floods.
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Preservation: Salt pans, along with mangroves, are crucial for the city’s biodiversity, providing habitats for various bird and insect species. Development on these lands would disrupt local ecosystems.
- Sustainability Concerns in Development Plans: Environmentalists criticize Mumbai’s Development Plan 2034 for ignoring sustainability, as it permits construction on ecologically sensitive salt pans, which could worsen flood risks and harm the environment.
- Questionable Living Conditions for Slum-Dwellers: Relocating slum-dwellers to these low-lying areas raises concerns about their quality of life. These lands are prone to flooding, making them unsuitable for habitation without costly measures like land-filling, waterproofing, and corrosion-proofing.
- High Costs of Development: Developing salt pan lands for housing would require significant investments in making the land habitable, such as filling land, building foundations, and flood-proofing. This would negate the purpose of “affordable” housing by increasing costs significantly.
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