Land acquisition begins, MMRDA seeks villagers’ consent

April 18, 2026 Headlinesnews

3 min readApr 18, 2026 02:23 PM IST

Accelerating its grand plans for the ambitious Third Mumbai project, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has invited farmers and landowners of the 124 villages in Uran, Panvel, and Pen tehsils to give up their lands. Landowners have been asked to submit their consent to the redevelopment online, forms for which will be available from April 27.

With this, land acquisition of the 323.44 square metres of the Karnala-Sai-Chirner (KSC) New Town begins, in the influence zone of the Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link.

A public notice on the land acquisition will be published soon.

As per a government resolution issued by the Maharashtra government, landowners will be offered multiple compensation options. Farmers who consent readily can receive monetary compensation as per the Maharashtra Regional Planning and Town Planning Act, 1966, to be decided by mutual consent. Alternatively, they can receive the compensation in the form of Floor Space Index (FSI) or Transferable Development Rights (TDR). As a third option, they can receive compensation in the form of 22.5 per cent of their area in developed land in the areas in Uran, Panvel, or Pen talukas.

Farmers have been requested to submit their consent along with their Aadhaar cards, land records (7/12), and 8A extract (details of land holdings).

Farmers not consenting to the land acquisition will not be pursued, MMRDA officials said. They added that the project will steer clear of mangroves, forests, and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas within New Town.

“As we shape Mumbai 3.0, our approach is firmly rooted in people-centric development. We believe that nation-building and city-building must be participatory processes. Accordingly, we are offering multiple options to landowners during the land acquisition process, empowering them to make informed choices that best suit their aspirations,” Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, said.

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“The success of this transformation will depend on the willingness and confidence of citizens to participate, and we are committed to ensuring that this participation is both voluntary and positive,” he added.

What is Third Mumbai?

Officially called the Karnala-Sai-Chirner (KSC) New Town, the Third Mumbai project encompasses an area of 323.44 square metres in Raigad district. It consists of 124 villages in Uran, Panvel, and Pen tehsils, the name deriving from significant villages within the area.

With the Atal Setu and the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) nearby, Third Mumbai has been planned as an urban hub that will attract business and investments. Its locational advantage is its proximity to the JNPT port, Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the upcoming Metro 8 line connecting it with the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, and railway lines.

The MMRDA plans to incorporate mixed-use neighbourhoods within Third Mumbai to improve accessibility and reduce commuting distances. Luxury housing as well as affordable housing are being planned, keeping in mind the principles of transit-oriented development.

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MMRDA has indicated that Third Mumbai will be a hub for logistics, data centre clusters, IT companies, fintech companies, retail and entertainment destinations, and a vibrant ecosystem for offices, universities, research facilities, residential, and commercial development.

Sabah Virani is a journalist with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau, covering infrastructure, housing and urban issues. In the realms of technical fields, she brings out human stories and the pace of change ongoing in the city.

Expertise

Specialised Role: Tracking infrastructure in Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Sabah’s reporting tracks progress on various projects. From bridges to metros, she mixes technical details with resourceful information.

Core coverage areas: Sabah keeps a close eye on the activities of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and its projects across the MMR, including the metros, road projects, bridges, the bullet train, pod taxi, its role as a planning authority, and more. She also watches for developments from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) and the GoM’s Urban Development department.

Housing: Sabah also tracks developments in housing, particularly the workings of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). She also keeps a keen watch on the big redevelopment projects ongoing in Mumbai, including the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, Motilal Nagar, Kamathipura, BDD Chawl redevelopment, among others.

Occasionally, she reports on the environment, biodiversity, waste, arts and culture.

Experience: Prior to working for the Indian Express, Sabah covered the municipality, civic issues and miscellaneous for Hindustan Times. Before that, she covered all things Mumbai for the online publication Citizen Matters. She has also worked as an editorial assistant at FiftyTwo.in.

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