Dahisar-Bhayander Elevated Road: ‘We are owners of the salt-pan land, not lessees’

Workers on a salt pan at Mira Road. File Pic/Nimesh Dave

The ambitious Dahisar-Bhayander Elevated Road of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which seeks to increase connectivity between Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and reduce traffic snarls at Dahisar check naka, faces a hurdle. An umbrella organisation representing salt manufacturers, Mith Utpadak Chhote Shilotri Seva Sangh (MUCSSS), has insisted that they should be compensated as the rightful owners of the salt-pan land rather than as lessees, or they would consider moving court against the civic body and the state government.

The alignment of the project is passing through natural areas such as mangroves, creek areas and salt pans. According to the president of MUCSSS, the salt works of shilotris (people who manufacture salt) were classified as private ones and the salt department maintained a register known as Jamin Kharda.

Talking to mid-day, Ashok Patil, president, MUCSSS, said, "We aren't objecting to the project. It is a development project and should come. However, we read reports where we were referred to by the government and municipal corporation as lessees, not owners. These are private salt pans and we are the owners. We have a history of over 250 years and we have all the documents. Hence, the government should compensate us as owners of the land."

The municipal corporation has entrusted the execution of this project to L&T, with a budget of R3,000 crore, and a four-year timeline for completion. Upon project completion, the distance between Dahisar West and Bhayandar West can be traversed without encountering any traffic signals, reducing travel time to just ten minutes. However, progress on the project remains stalled until the salt-pan landowners receive clarity regarding their compensation.

The elevated road will pass through salt works (mithagars) under the jurisdiction of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation. The Salt Producers' Association, representing approximately 2,000 families of shilotris, asserts that these salt pans are owned solely by the producers themselves.

Patil said, "The land does not belong to the Central government; it is our [shilotris'] land. Also, we want the government to compensate us as per the ready reckoner rate meant for industrial land use as in the case of salt work lands acquired in Indapur near the Mumbai-Goa highway. The rates of agricultural and industrial land are different." The organisation has sent such a letter to the legal department of the BMC seeking clarification and has also warned that it will file a court case if compensation is not paid as per the law and industrial (land use) rate.

Status of the elevated road

Initial tenders for this project were issued at a value of Rs 1,998 crore. However, the project's cost has escalated to 3,304 crore due to the impact of various taxes and other considerations during the contract awarding process. Furthermore, in the event of an extended compensation dispute, there is a potential for further cost escalation, and the project's timeline is expected to be prolonged. "The land acquisition procedure, as per existing legal provisions, will be done and appropriate compensation will be paid," said P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner.

Did You know?

This will be the sixth road connecting Mumbai to MMR between Dahisar West and Bhayander West. The five other existing arterial roads are the Western Express highway (Dahisar), LBS Road (Mulund), the Eastern Expressway Highway (Mulund) and Airoli and Vashi bridges that connect Mumbai to Navi Mumbai. In Mumbai, salt-pan plots are spread across Malwani (Malad), Dahisar, Mira- Bhayander and Virar in the western suburbs and Ghatkopar, Chembur, Mandale, Turbhe, Anik, Wadala, Kanjurmarg, Bhandup, Nahur and Mulund in the eastern suburbs.

About the project

One end of the elevated road is near the Kandarpada Metro Station in Dahisar West, and the structure will pass through the picturesque mangrove forests of Dahisar, terminating at Subhash Chandra Bose grounds at Uttan in Bhayander West. It will be 45 metres wide and be constructed on sturdy stilts. It will feature 4x4 lanes to ensure smooth traffic flow. Civic officials have revealed plans to designate emergency lanes on both sides, facilitating the swift passage of emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire brigade engines. Approximately 1.5 kilometres of the road will be within the jurisdiction of the BMC while four kilometres will be under that of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation. The proposed road will pass through CTS no. 207 and 208 in Dahisar and CTS no. 532 A via Ganpat Patil Nagar in Dahisar to 534 near village Eksar (partly) and connected to 27.545-metre-wide Link Road at Dahisar West.

Rs 3,000 cr
Budget of project