Kolis to develop coastal land

Following Environment Ministry's CRZ notification, Kolis to go ahead with developing their land without help from builders, banks

Did you ever think you would see a new high-rise on the city's coastline with the stringent coastal regulation norms?


The Kolis have decided to renovate the seven main Koliwadas and the 38-40 small ones with no help from any builder or bank

Well, you can now expect a sea change there, after the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) issued a new Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification on Friday, which allows Kolis to develop the coastal land they own.

Legitimising construction of skyscrapers within 500 m of the coast for the fisherfolk, the CRZ II notification has spurred the community to execute its long-standing redevelopment plans for Koliwadas.

On their own

The Kolis have decided to renovate the seven main Koliwadas and the 38-40 small ones with no help from any builder or bank. The real estate development will ensure that the intrinsic character of the Koliwadas won't change.

The big question is how will they do it without any aid from builders. The answer comes from Vijay Worlikar, vice-chairman, National Association of Fishermen. "We have land adjacent to the Koliwadas, which can be used to develop IT parks and sea-facing buildings for commercial use.

These spaces can be rented to banks and other corporates or leased for 99 years. This will give us enough money to redevelop our own societies, without involving any bank or builder," he said.

With the new notification (see box), Koliwadas can redevelop their property up to 100 m from the coastline. The government has mandated that no one except the Kolis can redevelop or erect a structure in the Koliwadas.

"Before the notification, builders would approach us, offering packages of Rs 3-4 crore and a 1,000 sq ft or bigger house, in exchange for our property.
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But we never accepted these proposals. We wanted to redevelop the property the way we wanted to, and we will do it now," said Ramakant Patil, senior member of the Worli Fishermen Association.

Their plan of action has been chalked out. They are going to hold a meeting of residents and fishing colony members this week.

"We have already made the plan and submitted it to the concerned offices. We were offered loans by international banks for redeveloping the property. But we have our own land, which by development and proper use can give us enough money. So there is no need to take a loan," said Worlikar.

The redevelopment of the Koliwadas will involve making houses with a modern approach while retaining their old style.

"There would be ample space to park our boats, dry fish, and do other fisherman chores. We will keep the Koliwadas alive in the heart of the city, and their actual inhabitants will remain at the place they have been staying for centuries now," he added.

"We will invite tenders from contractors to construct houses for us. The tender that matches our requirements will be contracted," said Worlikar.

46.3
Percentage of Mumbai falls under the CRZ

7
Number of main koliwadas in the city

Ek Cutting!
Fisherfolk
Dharavi-Koliwada was already an established village on the Mahim creek even before the British took possession of the Portuguese port of Bombaim on the Arabian Sea in the 17th century. It has been argued that the very name of Dharavi comes from that time. The words Dharevarca bhag means "the creeks' shore" in Marathi. The Kolis who can trace their ancestry to fishing communities all along this part of the west coast, are often referred to as the original inhabitants of Dharavi and Mumbai.

CRZ II
According to the new notification by the MoEF in 2011, under CRZ II, certain strict development rules have been made flexible. While earlier development within 500 m of the coast was strictly prohibited, now fishermen can construct their houses, or any other property they want, within 100 m of the coast.

Structures 500 m from the coast, which earlier had to be constructed at a restricted height, can now utilise a 2.5 FSI. This will enable the redevelopment of 146 slum clusters in the city impacting 47,000 families and 620 dilapidated structures including buildings, chawls, row houses, bungalowsu00a0impacting 38,000 families.

Under the CRZ II, any redevelopment will have a 51 per cent government stake, and the remaining will belong to the builders and tenants staying in the structures.

State Housing Minister, Sachin Ahir, said, "With 51 per cent coming to the state, and a 2.5 FSI, we will get ample of affordable housing near the coast."