Kolis fear that the state's new draft housing policy will open the door for developers, bringing an end to their traditional way of life

Kolis fear that the state's new draft housing policy will open the door for developers, bringing an end to their traditional way of life

- Draupadi Rohera

MUMBAI: Mumbai's fishing community is gearing up to fight the state's proposal to redevelop their koliwadas according to the cluster redevelopment model, tooth and nail. If the government has the community's best interests in mind, it would facilitate self-redevelopment, they say.

The Kolis have been agitated ever since the previous Eknath Shinde government announced the Maharashtra government's new draft housing policy 2024, only days before the model code of conduct took effect in October, before the assembly elections. The draft policy was publicly announced via the government website, triggering a wave of anger among the 45 koliwadas in the city.

Clause 4.13.4 (b) of the new draft housing policy 2024 states: "Cluster development approach should be allowed for the development in gaothans with necessary modifications. While doing this, precautions should be taken to ensure that the identity of the gaothans is maintained".

The Koli community individually and collectively wrote to the additional chief secretary, housing department, expressing concerns and raising objections to the development of "gaothans and koliwadas as clusters". "We do not want private builders to commercialise our spaces, Instead, we want the state to enact special Development Control Regulations DCRs for all koliwadas, enabling us to opt for self-redevelopment," says Ujwala Patil, President, Maharashtra Macchimaar Kruti Samiti.

Mumbai's koliwadas are located along the city's coastline and occupy vast tracts of land in areas such as Worli, Khar, Juhu, Versova and Mahim. For developers, this constitutes prime real estate, a gold mine for the real estate lobby. "This is the next big land grab for builders working in connivance with the government," says Anish Gavade, president of the Juhu Tara Koli Zamat Seemankan Samiti. "What was the urgency to rush this housing policy just before the elections? Was it done at the behest of big builders? We will oppose it."