Mumbai Koliwada redevelopment has received a formal push after Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced a nine-member committee to settle boundary demarcation objections affecting seven traditional fishing settlements in the city. The committee, headed by the Konkan Divisional Commissioner, has been directed to submit its recommendations to the state government within three months.
The panel will examine objections received against measurement maps prepared by the Mumbai City Collector’s office for the Koliwadas. It will hear the views of those who submitted objections as well as representatives of Koli organisations before recommending how the boundaries should be finalised.
The seven areas covered are Sewri, Sion, Colaba, Mahim including Mahim Market, Mandvi-Princess Dock, Worli and Cuffe Parade. Their boundaries have not been formally settled, according to the report. This has restricted development in the settlements, with authorities unable to legally construct even roads in some areas. Residents identified as original inhabitants of Mumbai have also been unable to undertake redevelopment of their properties.
The committee includes the Commissioner of the Konkan Division; the Settlement Commissioner and Director of Land Records, Maharashtra, Pune; the BMC Additional Commissioner in charge of the city; the Collectors of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts; the BMC Chief Engineer; the Director of the Environment and Climate Change Department; and the Assistant Commissioner of Fisheries. The Deputy Director of Land Records for the Konkan region will serve as the member secretary.
The panel will review the demarcation maps and the objections filed against them. It may invite relevant officials and experts when required. It will also consider further action in line with directions issued at a meeting chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department on September 9, 2024.
The boundary question is significant because it links land administration directly with the ability of residents to secure basic civic infrastructure and pursue redevelopment. Until the boundaries are finalised, the affected settlements remain caught between the need to protect traditional community land and the administrative requirement for clearly recorded limits before development permissions can be processed.
Bawankule said the Koli community is indigenous to Mumbai and that protecting its rights is a priority for the government. He said the action followed directions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and described the issue as one that has remained pending for 12 years. According to the minister, the committee has been instructed to conduct a transparent study and submit clear recommendations without affecting the rights of Koli community members or compromising protection of their land.
The committee’s report will determine the government’s next steps on final demarcation and could establish the administrative basis for future civic works and redevelopment in the seven Koliwadas. Its three-month deadline is the next formal milestone in the process.
