MIDC demands SRA-like status to keep slums at bay

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has sought power similar to that of the Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA) to tackle the proliferating slums in industrial estates. The MIDC has 276 industrial estates across Maharashtra. 

    The SRA allows a floor space index (FSI) of 3 for redevelopment. Each eligible slum-dweller is entitled to a 300 sq ft free house. The developer is offered a sale component, which is included in the 3 FSI. 
    MIDC's chief executive officer Bhushan Gagarani said that if granted the status accorded to the SRA, the corporation would rehabilitate the slums within the industrial estate itself. The slum encroachment problem is acute at Wagle Estate, Thane, Turbhe-Mhape industrial estate and in Pimpri-Chinchwad. In the prime industrial estates, nearly 616 acres is encroached upon. The number of hutments in these industrial estimates is estimated to be 65,000. 
    With increasing urbanization, most industries have moved out of these industrial estates as the cost of labour, 
transport and power has gone up. For instance, Wagle Estate has the large number of residential buildings. 
    Eknath Shinde, secretary of Thane Small Scale Industries Association, said that nearly 100 plots in the Thane Trans-Creek Industrial Estate have been encroached upon by slums. "To add to it, the builder's lobby has been applying for creating IT-enabled services under the IT policy and are instead creating residential complexes and selling them at market rates. There is no check on these constructions either," he said. 
    Sandeep Parekh, vicepresident, Thane Small Scale Industries Association, said over 80% of slum-dwellers worked in the industrial estates and the move would benefit the workers. However, he warned, if there is no demarcation between industries and residential areas, it might result in industries being forced out. 
    "The Thane Trans-Creek Industrial Estate has chemical industries. According to the law, there should be no residential complex within 1 km of any chemical industry. We have asked the government to ensure that the residences do not come up close to the industries and rather in a corner of the estate, away from the industries," he said