The 160 km Tansa Pipeline is one of the major sources of water supply in the city of Mumbai. Over the course of 50 years, about 16000 houses had been built over and around the pipeline, thereby hampering the maintenance of the pipeline and leading to frequent bursts. As per the Bombay High Court in 2009, the settlements along the pipeline were demolished in order to ensure the safety of the pipeline. The stretch along the pipeline is slated to be the site of one of Mumbai’s exorbitant development projects, an INR 300 crore cycle track. This paper, published in the Indian Architect and Builder Magazine (2018) aimed to study the rehabilitation schemes displaced, and the struggles that they  faced with as they attempt to get rehoused as Project Affected Persons. A comparison between rehabilitation schemes for Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and the Navi Mumbai Airport Rehabilitation schemes within Mumbai was conducted to see how the rehabilitation scheme of the Tansa pipeline compares and if a way forward can be charted.

 

A systemic change needs to be brought about in how we prioritise growth and development of our city vis-à-vis the quality of life of all its citizens, thereby allowing for inclusivity. The paper makes a case for the importance of essential services and infrastructure which are basic rights to life, and only once these are in place, should additional projects be implemented which complement existing facilities.