MUMBAI: The Adani Group-led Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) could expand the Mumbai airport by 15% if the slum settlements on its periphery are cleared. there is a renewed push due to the impending demolition of Terminal-1 While previous attempts to clear these settlements stayed grounded.
A proposal is yet to be prepared for the airport slums. However, there is one significant difference between redevelopment of the airport slums and at Ramabai Nagar – restrictions on the height of buildings near the airport. Once the slum-dwellers are rehabilitated, around 100 acres will be transferred to CSMIA to support future infrastructure growth.
“We will use the model used in the redevelopment of Ramabai Nagar and Kamraj Nagar in Ghatkopar, where the slum residents were rehabilitated in situ,” said an MMRDA official. “Despite the previous count of slum-dwellers standing at 85,000-90,000, MMRDA will commission a fresh survey,” said the official. “This was not the case at Ramabai Nagar, where 11 towers of 22 storeys each are being constructed,” the MMRDA official said.
“Last time, there was corruption in the process and the government miserably failed. This time, the authorities should ensure that they provide in-situ rehabilitation and the process is transparent.
RTI activist Anil Galgali, who has been following this airport slum redevelopment issue for years, said the process must be transparent. The slum residents simply cannot be displaced to other areas in the city,” said Galgali.
