No individual consent needed: Maharashtra clears 50-acre cluster redevelopment plan for Mumbai slums

In a major policy shift aimed at accelerating Mumbai's transformation into a slum-free city, the Maharashtra government has announced that individual consent from slum dwellers will no longer be required for the group redevelopment of slum clusters, the Free Press Journal reported.

According to the government resolution (GR), the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) will serve as the nodal agency for implementing "cluster redevelopment" projects on contiguous land parcels of at least 50 acres (20.25 hectares) where at least 51% of the area is occupied by slum dwellers or structures.

The policy allows the inclusion of private, government, and semi-government lands and extends to old hazardous buildings, chawls, rental tenements, and properties under development cess.

For the first time, the state has also allowed the inclusion of central government-owned land, stating: "Land owned by the central government may also be included upon obtaining necessary permissions from concerned authorities," the GR said.

The order further clarifies that land leased by government or semi-government bodies can be covered under the scheme, provided that rehabilitation adheres to Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034 and that compensation is paid to the respective authorities.

Importantly, the scheme extends to coastal regulation zones, marking a significant expansion of redevelopment eligibility. "Slums on CRZ I and II may be integrated, with in-situ or alternative rehabilitation permitted within a 5-km radius as per CRZ and DCPR norms," the order added.

Under the new model, private developers can be appointed through public-private partnerships or open tendering by public agencies. Developers who already hold 40% or more of the cluster site will be given priority to execute the project. Additionally, if existing multi-storey buildings stand on non-slum parcels within the designated cluster, the developer will be required to secure development rights for those structures.

A high-level committee, chaired by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, will oversee the project approvals. Members will include the Secretary of Housing, the Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the CEO of the SRA, and a representative of the public authority owning the land.

The move is expected to streamline the redevelopment process, which has long been slowed by fragmented ownership and consent delays. By eliminating the need for individual approvals, the government aims to fast-track large-scale slum rehabilitation, integrating infrastructure upgrades with modern housing in Mumbai’s densest areas.