Home / Business and Economy / Supreme Court Unlocks 150 Acres of Salt Pans for Dharavi Rehabilitation
Supreme Court Unlocks 150 Acres of Salt Pans for Dharavi Rehabilitation
30 Aug
Summary
- Supreme Court upholds decision to use 150 acres of salt pan land for Dharavi slum rehabilitation
- Eligibility based on settlement cut-off date, with longer-term residents getting larger homes
- Dispute over land lease spanning nearly two decades finally resolved
In a significant development for Mumbai's urban landscape, the Supreme Court has recently upheld a Bombay High Court decision that unlocks 150 acres of salt pan land in Mulund East for the rehabilitation of Dharavi residents. This ruling aims to provide new homes for those who do not qualify for on-site housing under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
The eligibility for rehabilitation is determined by the cut-off date of settlement. Residents who settled in Dharavi before January 1, 2000 are entitled to free 350 sq ft homes within Dharavi itself. Those who moved in between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2011 may be allotted 300 sq ft homes at alternative sites, such as the Mulund salt pans.
The legal dispute over the land has spanned nearly two decades. In 1921, the colonial-era government had leased nearly 782 acres of salt pan land in Mulund, Bhandup, and Kanjurmarg exclusively for salt production. This 99-year lease was later transferred to a sub-lessee, Vikas Walawalkar, in 1994. However, the lease was terminated in 2005 for non-compliance with the salt production clause.
The Supreme Court has now dismissed Walawalkar's appeal, upholding the High Court's ruling that the land had been leased solely for salt manufacturing and could not be converted into any broader claim over ownership. The court held that the 150 acres west of the Eastern Express Highway, which had not been utilized for salt production for over three decades, can now be used for the rehabilitation of ineligible Dharavi residents.
