Ongoing Saga of the Slums Along the Airport by, Sheela Patel

The slum along the Mumbai airport contains over 98,000 structures and to date remains a crucially unsolved challenge for the development of the airport. The resident’s networks, that are part of NSDF city federation, have promised to willingly concede land that the airport wants for its infrastructure if the remaining land not needed for the development will be made available to them.  The residents wish to live in SRA ground plus 5 buildings. For many years the contract to build alternative housing for slums along the airport was given to a construction firm HDIL.  276 acres of encroached land was to be “cleared” as households would move to sites nearby. The unusual act of getting transferred development rights for the 7000 structures in which no one has moved yet has been noted by the CAG in his report. There are numerous other challenges that have also impeded this process.  For example:

• The state cannot undertake surveys until it clears eligibility norms, which should be structure for structure; the High court says the year 2000 cut off is acceptable. Thus only a very small percentage is eligible.
• Residents what to be assured that the whole community get houses which are nearby; only 7000 are nearby so the residents have refused to move.
• The deal for GVK and HDIL does not become profitable unless the land use for commercial purpose is accepted; this has resulted to a standoff.

 In the meanwhile the new terminal with huge array of art work is to be opened on Feb 14.