Mumbai, June 14, 2024 — Over 10,000 families in Dahisar, Mumbai, find themselves in a precarious situation as redevelopment projects worth between ₹7,000 crore and ₹10,000 crore are stalled due to height restrictions imposed by the Airport Authority of India (AAI). The restrictions stem from the presence of high-frequency radars used for signaling flights in and around Mumbai's airspace.
BJP MLA Manisha Chaudhary from Dahisar has highlighted the issue, stressing the urgent need for intervention. "I have submitted a representation to the aviation minister requesting him to intervene in the matter and shift the radar stations of AAI outside Dahisar. Residents of old buildings in my constituency are awaiting redevelopment of their buildings, and the number is somewhere around 10,000 households," Chaudhary told HT Digital.
In her letter dated June 12, 2024, to the new union aviation minister, TDP MP Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Chaudhary pointed out that the majority of the affected buildings were constructed in the 1980s and 1990s. These structures have deteriorated over time, leading to significant repair and maintenance costs. The letter emphasized that the current height restrictions have rendered redevelopment projects economically unfeasible for developers, leaving residents in unsafe living conditions.
Chintan Vasani, Partner at Wisebiz Developers, expressed concern over the impact of these restrictions. "Earlier, permissions for 40 to 60 floor buildings near radars were common, but now even 10 floors is a challenge. This shift has impacted more than 7,000 families in Dahisar, with redevelopment projects becoming unviable. Delay and lack of clarity are affecting families directly or indirectly," he said. Vasani also noted that some projects are stalled, leaving flat owners stranded, while others remain in poor condition.
The high-frequency radars in question are installed on a 58-acre land parcel owned by AAI in Dahisar. In August 2017, the Union government agreed to relocate the radars after the Maharashtra government sought to use the land for a Metro car depot. However, this plan was later abandoned, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) now plans to acquire the land to develop a park.
Height restrictions are not unique to Dahisar; similar constraints affect other areas in Mumbai, such as Kandivali, Malad, Vile Parle, and Ghatkopar, due to nearby defence facilities or aviation signaling radars. Additionally, environmental restrictions, particularly in coastal regulation zones (CRZ), further limit construction heights.
The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) recently issued a list of 20 residential buildings in South Mumbai deemed extremely dangerous, necessitating immediate evacuation. Overall, more than 10,000 dilapidated buildings across the city, some repairable, are in dire need of redevelopment.
As Dahisar residents await resolution, the call for relocating the radars gains urgency, with hopes that the aviation ministry's intervention will provide the needed relief and pave the way for safer and modern living conditions.
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