mumbai the municipal corporations proposal to reclaim land in ecosensitive coastal areas and allow construction in nodevelopment zones ndz has met stiff opposition from city activists they have now decided to join hands to ensure the proposal does not become a realityin the next few days we will hold a meeting inviting all activists to prepare a detailed plan of action we will procure all information from the bmc through the right to information act make a presentation before the chief minister and urge him not to destroy our natural surroundings said ashoke pandit filmmaker and convener of save open spaces a few activists plan to urge the bmc and the state to explore other options for affordable housing they have threatened to approach the court if their request is turned downthe bmcs presentation of the draft development plan 2034 which has been revised on the direction of the state government has left most activists fumingthe revised draft dp envisages building one million affordable homes on ecosensitive salt pans and lands designated as nodevelopment zones ndzs the bmc said salt pans demarcated for soci al housing comprise around 642 acres of the total 5500 acres in greater mumbaithe total ndz land available for affordable homes is in excess of 5000 acres the bmc has removed all reservations except for the metro car shed which requires about 74 acres in aarey milk colony and wants to reserve 617 acres for a zoological park there the bmc also plans to create a 300acre central park by reclaiming backbay in south mumbai and affordable housing in coastal areas between andheri and dahisarecologically aarey is more important than the other options in south mumbai that we had suggested for the metro car shed the government had rejected our suggestions and zeroed in on aarey despite our opposition now the bmc is proposing affordable housing on ndz land which will only facilitate people who have land interest in these areas said rishi agarwal of the save aarey groupthey the bmc and the state government are not taking the issue seriously they are inviting more flooding if they encroach on salt pans and other natural areas this government seems to be working in favour of the builders at the cost of the common man we will not allow the government to snatch our open spaces said shyama kulkarni of agnilocal fishermen who will have no place to keep their boats if the proposal to create a 300acre central park in south mumbai by reclaiming backbay pointed out that there are already several public gardens in the vicinity we have been living in the backbay area since four decades we had opposed the reclamation proposal three decades ago and forced the government to drop the plan we are prepared to protest against any such move said damodar tandel a fishermens union leadertimes viewfrom building affordable homes on salt pans and lands designated as nodevelopment zones to reclaiming backbay to create a 300acre central park the bmc