The State Urban Development Department has taken out the reservations for green belt and a garden/park, paving the way for full-fledged construction on a prime 2.5-acre Nepean Sea Road plot in south Mumbai. Nepean Sea is one of the most expensive residential zones in the country, where new apartments have prices as high as Rs 1.25 lakh per sq ft. The sea-facing plot close to the Priyadarshini Park is encroached by around 650 shanties and is owned by a private developer, Esarac Construction. Nirmal Kumar Chaudhari, the undersecretary, signed the notification issued on April 12, 2021, which says that the land is reserved for government staff quarters, but this is only half the story. Removing reservations means that the plot may also be redeveloped under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. The builder can now avail massive development benefits to increase luxury towers instead of rehabilitating slum dwellers free of cost on a portion of the plot. It is the only change of reservation carried out in the entire D ward—where this project is mentioned—in the city’s new development plan. The property market sources told the media that this is the first case in Mumbai where open space reservation of land encroached by slums has been deleted. The authorities allowed slum rehab construction earlier on 65% of the plot while leaving the remaining portion for public open spaces. It will open Pandora’s box. Because of the removal of reservations for open public spaces, the potential of development of the plot is now worth several thousand crores. The notice of the Urban Development Department said that it approved the new plan on the Nepean Sea Road plot after following the process of inviting “objections and suggestions” and consulting the director of town planning. Image Source Also read: MHADA to take up redevelopment of Patra Chawl in Goregaon Also read: Slum redevelopment on Mumbai airport land gets state govt approval