Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 9: A salt pan land parcel measuring 13,843.82 square metres in Wadala, earlier reserved as a natural area, has been reclassified for residential use, triggering concerns over land use changes in the city.

The Maharashtra government’s urban development department issued a notification on April 1 under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, approving the conversion. The land was previously earmarked for a BEST bus depot or for rehabilitation of project-affected persons (PAPs). It is now reportedly proposed to be allotted for a gymkhana for bureaucrats.

In addition, another land parcel measuring 6,475 square metres has also seen its reservation altered to facilitate the construction of a storage facility for VVPAT and EVM machines.

As per Mumbai’s Development Plan (DP-2034), both plots were categorised as natural areas (NAs), intended to remain as such if not used for public utilities like PAP housing or transport infrastructure.

Officials indicated that the move followed a proposal initiated in October 2024, when the Mumbai city district collector requested the removal of the NA classification to enable use for “public purposes”. Public suggestions and objections were invited in 2025 before finalising the decision.

A government official stated that the land did not contain mangroves or hills and that portions of it had already been temporarily handed over to Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited, with some existing structures on site.

Notably, the proposed gymkhana site is located near a 13,000 sq ft plot allotted to the Indus Cooperative Housing Society, which comprises around 200 IAS and IPS officers. A 22-storey residential tower is planned on that plot, raising questions over the rationale behind the gymkhana proposal in the area.