Bombay High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the state government’s transfer of approximately 256 acres of salt pan land in Mulund, Kanjurmarg and Bhandup for the Dharavi redevelopment’s housing programme aimed at project‑affected persons (PAPs). The bench—led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne—ruled that the petition lacked evidentiary merit and failed to establish why the salt pans could not be repurposed for housing.
In recent years, these salt pan parcels—previously designated as wetlands and coastal regulation zone (CRZ) land—had been protected under a 2012 government directive. However, a pivotal policy revision in 2024 excluded salt pans from the legal definition of wetlands and permitted their transfer at concessional rates for affordable and PAP housing projects under a new Office Memorandum. The petitioner had argued that salt pan land falls within the CRZ and should remain undeveloped. However, the court noted that these claims were unsupported by substantive research or documentation. The bench further held that the petitioner had not contested the legal validity of the amended wetland rules, leading to dismissal of the case as lacking legal basis . Still, the judges emphasised that environmental safeguards must be factored into project implementation.
Legal analysts say the verdict reaffirms the state’s ability to repurpose centrally owned salt pans, now exempt from wetland classifications, in line with policy shifts. The court also observed that public interest is furthered when PAPs are rehabilitated in urban contexts, provided ecological safeguards are. However, environmental groups and urban planners warn of broader ecological risks. Salt pans have historically served as natural flood buffers and habitats for coastal biodiversity. Critics caution that, without robust environmental impact assessments and conservation measures, converting these lands for housing—even affordable housing—could exacerbate flood vulnerability and sea-level risks in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs.
As the Dharavi redevelopment project—led by a government-backed SPV and a major private developer—progresses, the ruling sets a legal precedent. But success will depend on strict environmental oversight and sensitive planning to balance the city’s urgent housing needs with ecological resilience. Critics say vigilant, transparent implementation remains essential to uphold both housing equity and urban sustainability.
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