In Charts: Land Mumbai Has Found To Develop In The Next Two Decades

Mumbai, the world’s second-most crowded city, will get 2,500 hectares—or 25 square kilometres— to build affordable homes in next two decades by unlocking non-development zones and salt pans. That’s in addition to 11,252 hectares, about a quarter of the city’s area, already available to develop homes, commercial complexes, infrastructure and more.

The non-development zones proposed to be unlocked for affordable homes are located in parts of central and suburban Mumbai, according to officials at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Town Planning Department.

• Wadala, Sewri and Cotton Green: Central Mumbai
• Bhandup, Mulund: North-eastern suburbs.
• Gorai, Manori: North-western suburbs.

The final plan and maps of the demarcated areas are yet to be released.

Over 25 percent of Mumbai’s total area has been reserved for natural areas where no development is allowed, according to details of the development plan—a road map for the next 20 years—given by Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and Nitin Kareer, secretary at the state’s Urban Development Department, last month.

Here’s a breakup of how much land will be available for development, according to officials at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Town Planning Department.

The objective is to build about a million new affordable homes, Kareer had said. For it, the government opened up non-development zones and salt pans. A metro car shed will be allowed in the green zone comprising 800 hectares of Aarey forest area in the northern suburbs.

There’s no clarity on where the salt pans will be opened for building homes. These are located in parts of central and suburban Mumbai, according to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s website.