Maharashtra to rehabilitate eligible encroachers, reclaim mangrove and government land

Mangroves in Gorai, which form a vital natural buffer against coastal flooding and erosion. Pics/Satej Shinde

The Maharashtra government has announced a major policy initiative to reclaim encroached mangrove and other government land by rehabilitating eligible occupants instead of regularising illegal settlements. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that all people who settled on mangrove land, forest land, CIDCO land and other state or Central government land before January 1, 2011, will be surveyed within the next three months. Eligible occupants will then be considered for rehabilitation under housing schemes such as SRA and MHADA, enabling the government to free and restore environmentally sensitive land.

By the numbers

January 1, 2011: Eligibility cut-off date
3 months: Deadline for survey
4 land categories: Mangrove, forest, CIDCO and other State/Central government land

What the government plans

Survey
A survey will be conducted under the supervision of the Konkan Divisional Commissioner to identify eligible occupants.

Rehabilitation
Eligible families may be rehabilitated through:
>> Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA)
>> MHADA housing schemes
>> Other government rehabilitation projects

What will not happen
>> Encroachments will not be regularised
>> Rehabilitation will take place at alternative locations, not on encroached or protected land

Assembly debate

During a discussion on environmental issues, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar suggested that the government adopt an approach similar to the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme.

Narwekar's suggestion

"Just as slum dwellers who settled before January 1, 2011, are eligible for rehabilitation, the government should examine whether people living on encroached mangrove land can also be rehabilitated so that the land can be freed."

Government Speak

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Revenue Minister
"The CM has decided to identify eligible occupants on mangrove, forest, CIDCO and other government land. A survey will be completed within three months, after which the government will examine their rehabilitation." He clarified that the encroachments cannot be regularised because they are located in non-development or environmentally sensitive zones.

Why mangroves matter

>> Acting as a natural barrier against storm surges
>> Reducing tidal flooding
>> Preventing coastal erosion
>> Stabilising shorelines
>> Filtering pollutants
>> Supporting fish and bird habitats
>> Maintaining the ecological balance of creeks and wetlands

Why the move is significant

Recent satellite-based assessments cited in media indicate that Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have lost significant mangrove cover.
Environmental activists attribute much of the damage to:
>> Illegal debris dumping
>> Wetland reclamation
>> Expansion of slum settlements
>> Commercial development