Mumbai, July 9 -- In an effort to address the housing crisis faced by thousands of families in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government on Thursday announced a comprehensive survey to facilitate the rehabilitation of slum dwellers residing on forest and mangrove-protected lands.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule informed the Legislative Assembly that the state government has decided to grant "protected status" to all residential structures that existed before January 1, 2011, on state, forest, revenue, and CIDCO-owned lands.
The decision follows persistent advocacy by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, who had raised the issue of residents living on forest and mangrove-sensitive plots. Narvekar pointed out that while pre-2011 structures i...