In what could speed up crucial river widening works under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) ambitious Brihanmumbai Storm Water Drainage (Brimstowad) project, the state housing department issued a notification last week giving the BMC full authority to survey and decide on the eligibility of slum dwellers as project-affected persons (PAPs), as opposed to having to wait for the Collector's office, MHADA or MMDRA to do so.
The project, aimed at easing flooding in Mumbai during monsoons, has been delayed due to slum encroachments along the Dahisar, Poisar, Oshiwara and Mithi rivers as well as the Vakola nullah.
Earlier, the civic body had to wait for the Collector's office, MMRDA or Mhada to decide on the eligibility of slum dwellers as PAPs, before the encroachments could be demolished and the PAPs rehabilitated elsewhere.
"The deputy collector's office had written to the state government in December 2016 saying that the process of conducting surveys will take a lot of time, considering the work pressure they are currently under. We have decided to give BMC the authority to conduct the survey. We want to expedite the project," said BJ Pawar, Joint Secretary of the Housing Department. The BMC, however, will continue to rely on the Railways for the survey and eligibility of PAPs in the case of slum encroachments on Railway land.
- DEVASHRI BHUJBAL | Thu, 2 Feb 2017 , Mumbai , DNA
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