Notwithstanding challenges associated with land acquisition, Navi Mumbai, which is spread over 344 sq km, was conceived in the mainland to decongest Mumbai, and was developed from scratch without displacing people, said Geetha Ajit Pillai, Chief General Manager (Transport and Airport) of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), Mumbai’s city planning agency that developed Navi Mumbai.
Having 25 years experience in planning and developing urban transportation projects, including that of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, she is among the 17 experts from across the country who will address ‘Bodhi’, the two-day national sustainable urban development conclave that will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the Bolgatty Palace and Island Resort here on Sunday. It is organised jointly by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and the Association of Municipalities and Development Authorities (AMDA).
Speaking to The Hindu here on Saturday, she explained how CIDCO, a government agency, became fully self-sufficient through land value capture from Navi Mumbai. “None from the 90 small fishing village settlements that were there had to be relocated as we built the city around them. This made it eligible for the UN Habitat Award for Sustainable Development,” she said.
