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Navi Mumbai Development Plan invisibilises the existence of slums, creating fear of displacements

Reported by

Shubham Kothari

Legal Review by

Anmol Gupta, Mukta Joshi

Edited by

Radhika Chatterjee

Updated by

Published on

March 6, 2023

March 22, 2023

Edited on

March 6, 2023

State

Maharashtra

Sector

Infrastructure

People Affected by Conflict

208236

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

10900

ha

Starting Year

2018

Location of Conflict

Navi Mumbai

Navi Mumbai

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Urban Development (Other than Smart Cities)

Land Conflict Summary

In August 2022, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) released its draft development plan (DP) for the period 2018-2038. This included maps of existing and proposed land use of the area.

The proposed land use plan is being opposed by different groups of Mumbai residents on several grounds. One of which is that the DP invisibilises informal settlements or 'slums' and instead proposes the construction of various other civic amenities over the lands where slums exist currently. The plan also ignores the needs of street vendors who work in the area and does not mention hawking zones anywhere. This goes against the mandate of the Street Vendors Act, 2014 (Protection of livelihood and regulation of street vending act). According to which a minimum amount of land needs to be provided for street vending zones in proportion to the total population of the area. The plan has not recognised any of the natural markets for street vending as vending zone and has neither created sufficient provision for construction of vending markets.

Activists have also objected to the proposed plan citing environmental concerns. They are concerned about the impact the development plan would have on biodiversity. LCW spoke with Dulari Parmar, an architect who works with Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action, a civil society organisation based in Mumbai. She heads their work on climate justice. She said, "Although Navi Mumbai glorifies itself as a flamingo city, but the proposed DP in fact poses threats to these and other flora fauna. Large parcels of Reserved Forest land in Belapur node have been converted into other land use categories."

On 28th October a rally was taken to the NMMC head office by nearly a 1000 individuals, including residents of the slums and street vendors. The protest was organised by Ghar Haq Sangarsh Samiti and YUVA.

Further, some of the slums even though lie within the NMMC's jurisdiction, are located on lands owned by City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO) or Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). This leads to contestation between these authorities about how the land should be used, and the continuous growth of 'unauthorised' settlements.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to be recognised as slums under the proposed development Plan

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Legislations/Policies Involved

Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966
Section 26 [A planning authority seeking to commence a project shall prepare a draft Development Plan which shall be available to the public for inspection]; Section 28(1) [Any person may communicate in writing to the Planning Authority their suggestions or objection to the Draft Development plan. The Planning Committee, on receiving such suggestions or objections, may modify or change the plan in a manner that they see fit] Section 33 [Planning authority may prepare comprehensive plans for development of particular areas, including slum areas. Such plans must go through the same procedure of public consultation]
Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014
Section 3.2 [The Town Vending Committee shall ensure that all existing street vendors are accommodated in notified vending zones in accordance with the plan for street vending] Section 21 [Local authorities, including planning authorities under the Regional and Town Planning Act, must prepare a plan in consultation with the Town Vending Committee to promote the vocation of street vendors]
Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

Yes

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

Written objections have been sent from various stakeholders to the draft master development plan. These objections include the demand for recognition of slums as residential zones and allocation of land for street vending.

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

No decisions made as of now

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-consultation with stakeholders

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Objections as part of official procedures

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, City and Industrial Development Corporation

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

In August 2022, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) released its draft development plan (DP) for the period 2018-2038. This included maps of existing and proposed land use of the area.

The proposed land use plan is being opposed by different groups of Mumbai residents on several grounds. One of which is that the DP invisibilises informal settlements or 'slums' and instead proposes the construction of various other civic amenities over the lands where slums exist currently. The plan also ignores the needs of street vendors who work in the area and does not mention hawking zones anywhere. This goes against the mandate of the Street Vendors Act, 2014 (Protection of livelihood and regulation of street vending act). According to which a minimum amount of land needs to be provided for street vending zones in proportion to the total population of the area. The plan has not recognised any of the natural markets for street vending as vending zone and has neither created sufficient provision for construction of vending markets.

Activists have also objected to the proposed plan citing environmental concerns. They are concerned about the impact the development plan would have on biodiversity. LCW spoke with Dulari Parmar, an architect who works with Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action, a civil society organisation based in Mumbai. She heads their work on climate justice. She said, "Although Navi Mumbai glorifies itself as a flamingo city, but the proposed DP in fact poses threats to these and other flora fauna. Large parcels of Reserved Forest land in Belapur node have been converted into other land use categories."

On 28th October a rally was taken to the NMMC head office by nearly a 1000 individuals, including residents of the slums and street vendors. The protest was organised by Ghar Haq Sangarsh Samiti and YUVA.

Further, some of the slums even though lie within the NMMC's jurisdiction, are located on lands owned by City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO) or Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). This leads to contestation between these authorities about how the land should be used, and the continuous growth of 'unauthorised' settlements.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to be recognised as slums under the proposed development Plan

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Legislations/Policies Involved

Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966
Section 26 [A planning authority seeking to commence a project shall prepare a draft Development Plan which shall be available to the public for inspection]; Section 28(1) [Any person may communicate in writing to the Planning Authority their suggestions or objection to the Draft Development plan. The Planning Committee, on receiving such suggestions or objections, may modify or change the plan in a manner that they see fit] Section 33 [Planning authority may prepare comprehensive plans for development of particular areas, including slum areas. Such plans must go through the same procedure of public consultation]
Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014
Section 3.2 [The Town Vending Committee shall ensure that all existing street vendors are accommodated in notified vending zones in accordance with the plan for street vending] Section 21 [Local authorities, including planning authorities under the Regional and Town Planning Act, must prepare a plan in consultation with the Town Vending Committee to promote the vocation of street vendors]
Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

Yes

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

Written objections have been sent from various stakeholders to the draft master development plan. These objections include the demand for recognition of slums as residential zones and allocation of land for street vending.

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

No decisions made as of now

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-consultation with stakeholders

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Objections as part of official procedures

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, City and Industrial Development Corporation

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Municipal Commissioner, NMMC said, "the objections will be considered one by one, it will take time to consider all the objections stated".

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

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Updated By

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Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

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