BMC's Long-Pending Ashray Housing Scheme For Sanitation Workers Gets MCZMA Clearance After 18-Month Delay

Mumbai: After facing an 18-month delay, the BMC has finally received clearance from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) for its long-pending housing project for sanitation workers under the ‘Ashray’ scheme at Cochin Street in Fort. The proposal includes the construction of 54 rehabilitation flats, each measuring 238 sq ft, aimed at providing permanent housing to civic sanitation staff.

CRZ Mandate Required Environmental Clearance

The BMC is developing a ground-plus-nine-storey residential building at Cochin Street and Kalikat Street in Fort on a 489.14 sq m plot, with the proposed structure set to rise 29.30 metres high. As the site falls within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) under the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019, mandatory environmental clearance was required before the project could begin. However, the long-pending housing project remained stalled for nearly a year due to unresolved lease formalities with the Mumbai Port Authority.

The Authority granted in-principle approval for the project on February 2, 2026, following which the BMC submitted its application to the MCZMA on May 5. “Since final CRZ clearance from the MCZMA was a mandatory prerequisite, the project had remained stalled until now. With the approval now in place, the work can finally commence,” a civic official said. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs. 17 crore. The bhoomi pujan for the project at Cochin Street was performed in October 2024 by Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker and Colaba MLA Rahul Narwekar.

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