Worli STP row: BMC moves state to secure 27,967 sq m of reserved land

Mumbai: Over two months after the BMC first issued a stop-work notice to a transit camp in Worli after finding that it was coming up on a civic land parcel reserved for a sewage treatment plant (STP), the municipal commissioner has now written to the state government seeking a revision in land allocation for the project.In a letter sent to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing Department, Government of Maharashtra, the civic chief has sought that 27,967 sq m of land be reserved and handed over to the BMC for public infrastructure tied to the expansion of the Worli Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP).The land in question falls within a proposed special township project involving slum rehabilitation schemes at Jijamata Nagar, Shree Vivekanand Nagar, Veer Jijamata Nagar and Mata Ramabai Nagar in the Lower Parel division. The request calls for modification of a July 12, 2024 state government order, which had reduced the STP reservation area to 17,756.40 sq m.The letter states that this reduced allocation is inadequate for meeting the requirements of multiple civic departments and for executing the expanded sewage treatment project.According to the civic body, the land is crucial not just for sewage treatment but also for safeguarding key underground utilities and enabling maintenance access. The storm Water Drains department has also sought land along the Nehru Science Centre nullah for reconstruction and future desilting work, while the Bridges department requires a six-metre-wide strip for inspection and maintenance of an under-construction bridge over the nullah.A major share—over 21,900 sq m—has been earmarked for the BMC's Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project (MSDP), under which the Worli facility is being upgraded as part of a 500 MLD wastewater treatment project. Officials said additional land is needed to install advanced treatment systems to convert treated water to potable standards, along with storage, distribution and sludge-handling infrastructure.In total, around 6,060 sq m has been sought for utility protection and maintenance, taking the overall requirement to 27,967 sq m.Calling the STP expansion a "vital public purpose project," the BMC has urged the state to amend its earlier order issued under the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971 to reflect the revised land requirement.If approved, the change could also significantly alter the layout of the proposed SRA township, with a larger portion than before of the land earmarked for civic infrastructure instead of rehabilitation housing.Last week the Bombay High Court had sought the state government's stand on the BMC seeking the approximately 27,000 sq m land, instead of 17,756 sq m, for expansion of the sewage treatment plant (STP) in Worli while hearing a petition by Worli Urban Development Project LLP (formerly Lokhandwala DB Realty Pvt Ltd) against demolition of transit buildings on 17,756 square area. On Feb 9, HC ordered further construction to stop. The developer undertook to demolish the transit buildings within 90 days. Halfway through the demolition of the second building, BMC told HC it wants the whole 27,698 sq m land.
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