Maha CM orders redevelopment in airport funnel zone, Juhu military areas

Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) In a major push to resolve long-standing real estate bottlenecks in Mumbai’s western suburbs, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed administrative bodies to fast-track the redevelopment of dilapidated structures that are caught between stringent aviation and defence security guidelines.

The directives target structures within the Airport Funnel Zone, covering Santacruz, Vile Parle, and Kurla, as well as buildings within safety perimeters around the Juhu Military Transmitter Station.

The orders were issued during a high-level review meeting convened at Vidhan Bhavan, which brought together key state ministers and senior urban planning bureaucrats.

The height limits imposed on the approach funnel (the designated airspace for safe aircraft takeoff and landing) have historically made these redevelopment projects financially infeasible for builders.

To counter this, CM Fadnavis introduced an innovative “potential FSI” model. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been instructed to map out exactly where the unconsumed Floor Space Index (FSI) or Transferable Development Rights (TDR) generated from these restricted plots can be utilised.

The state is exploring an integration policy modelled after road-widening rules. This allows developers to “club” or combine the higher potential FSI of a height-restricted building with construction projects on neighbouring or nearby plots where height caps are less stringent, said the CM.

Higher-potential FSI allocations will be determined based on the width of adjoining roads to systematically clear development logjams.

Streamlining Mumbai’s Housing Watchdogs: Beyond the immediate zone modifications, the Chief Minister mandated a structural shift in how Mumbai’s primary housing agencies interact.

“Multiple agencies like the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), MHADA, and CIDCO operate independently across Mumbai. Moving forward, the Urban Development Department must act as the ultimate regulatory and oversight nodal agency to unify housing enforcement,” noted CM Fadnavis.

As immediate next steps, the BMC will launch an exhaustive mapping operation of all buildings constrained by the airport’s funnel footprint. Simultaneously, the state will aggressively pursue procedural clearances to untangle overlapping defence restrictions near the Juhu facility, providing much-needed structural relief to thousands of residents trapped in ageing housing societies.

The meeting concluded with a clear timeline mandate for municipal and state officials to execute these guidelines ahead of upcoming civic planning deadlines.

–IANS

sj/dan