Mumbai: 1100 acres earmarked for affordable housing

MHADA

The Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) has allocated land parcels spread over 1,100 acres across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for developing affordable housing projects. Mumbai Metropolitan Region comprises cities of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. The identified land parcels are in Thane, Raigad and the newly formed district of Palghar including Vasai and Virar.

Prakash Mehta, The state minister of housing, labour and mines had announced that Maharashtra is contemplating on opening up land parcels under the no-development zones as well as plots belonging to Indian defence personnel with a view to build affordable houses in Mumbai. “If needed the government will even look at the salt pan land, defence land, airports authority and BPT (Bombay Port Trust) for these projects,” said Mehta stressing on the need for affordable housing in the financial capital.

This exercise by MHADA to earmark land parcels for affordable housing projects holds significance in the backdrop of the government’s vision of achieving Housing for All by 2022. “We have identified these land parcels based on connectivity and infrastructure as well as availability of vital facilities like water supply that are prerequisites for conception of housing projects there,” said SS Zende, vice president and chief executive officer of  MHADA.

The bulk of expenditure for any real estate project which is the cost of land is least in this case since these land parcels are being allotted to the state housing authority by the government itself. The process of planning and drawing of a roadmap for these housing projects will be initiated after the land is allotted.