28 October,2016 09:52 AM IST | | Dharmendra Jore
After the young Thackeray scion writes a post criticising Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ pet project of developing salt pans, the latter tells mid-day what he thinks about the Yuva Sena leader’s ‘concerns’
Opening up the city's saltpan lands for development is the CM's pet project, which Aaditya Thackeray has deemed as a move for increasing global warming. Representation pic
While their political jostling for sharing seats ahead of the BMC polls next year continues, the BJP and Shiv Sena have found a new topic for debate: development of salt pans.
In a blog post on a news channel's website, Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray lashed out at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' pet project of opening up salt pans for creating affordable housing. The CM, in turn, told mid-day that he thought Aaditya's concerns were unfounded.
Aaditya has questioned the government's motive to monetise salt pan lands, deeming it a move for destroying the environment and increasing global warming. Fadnavis, however, said why people who praised the development of salt pan lands in other countries, opposed a similar plan in which the state wants to replicate an international model of protecting the environment and bio-diversity while developing a part of salt pan lands in Mumbai.
âWhat will monetising do?'
"What will âmonetising' Mumbai's open spaces bring? Global warming and environmental destruction are dangers way closer than acknowledged in the US Presidential debates," wrote Aaditya on Wednesday.
He hoped that Fadnavis would take note of the concern, not just as one voiced by him, but as something that will help create a sustainable and appropriate development model for the state and Mumbai. Interestingly, Diwakar Raote, a senior Sena minister, heads the salt pan land development department.
âAffordable for whom?'
Aaditya further said that the Centre and state government were actively considering opening up of salt pan lands for housing. "Salt pan lands - flat expanses - have traditionally been no-development zones and massive open spaces without any construction. Their use by builders, marketed as "affordable housing" (one wonders affordable for whom), would only destroy the ecological balance that this space maintains for our coastlines," he added.
CM denies allegations
Fadnavis denied his government was going to open up all salt pan lands, marshy lands and areas that are not allowed for development. "The Centre has asked us to prepare a master plan and MMRDA is making it. There are lands that fall under mangrove forests, CRZ2 and salt pan lands. The government and private parties own them. It is wrong to say that the entire land available will be developed," he told mid-day.
He also claimed that Mumbai does not have land left to create an affordable homes. "But we have to find out land parcels that can be built in a sustainable manner. How can one say we are going to open up all the land, 80% of which cannot be developed because of environmental concerns?"
Sea the sunrise
Aaditya said that some 1,800-odd acres on Mumbai's east coast, currently under the Bombay Port Trust (BPT), the navy, and partly and the junkyard, would be monetised. "The east coast of Mumbai consists of rail lines and a road network that can be well used with beautiful open spaces. Does an open space as a promenade, without any commercial activity or without it being owned by builders, have no value? Can't the land be made into a simple, beautiful green tract of land that enables Mumbaikars to see the sunrise?" he said.
BPT issue
He said the BPT won't hand over its land-holding in Mumbai to the city's council preferring rather to keep it with itself to monetise it. "The government is about to declare the Arabian Sea on the east coast of Mumbai as a âcreek' to facilitate the need of the builders on the east coast. I'm guessing that soon the Arabian Sea between India and the African mainland will be called a bay!" he said. Fadnavis said the BPT land issue was being handled by the port ministry (headed by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari).
Potshot on photo-op
Aaditya also said a government cannot be so unaware of the global and local impact of climate change, which won't be healed by hailing and re-tweeting international treaties and photo-ops, but by acting on them.
Fadnavis replied, "They appreciate measures taken by other countries where salt pan lands have been developed, and yet, they oppose it when we in the state and union governments want to replicate the [foreign] model of protecting the environment while developing salt pan lands. They should know that only 20% of salt pan lands in Mumbai can be developed and the rest will remain as it is."
