Mumbai: The Maharashtra government introduced the Housing Policy 2025 on Wednesday, a comprehensive plan expected to mobilise investments worth Rs 70,000 crore.

The policy outlines a multi-pronged strategy focusing on slum rehabilitation, affordable housing, and sustainable urban development, with special emphasis on economically weaker sections (EWS), lower-income groups (LIG), and middle-income groups (MIG).

The government has set an ambitious target to construct 35 lakh houses over the next five years, with a long-term vision of delivering 50 lakh homes within a decade. To facilitate this, the MahaAwas Fund will be significantly expanded to Rs 20,000 crore.

“The ultimate target is to build 50 lakh houses in the next 10 years… To achieve this ambitious target, existing provisions under the Development Control and Promotion Regulations/Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations and relevant institutional frameworks will be strengthened and modified as needed. Additionally, active participation from the private sector will be promoted through a range of incentive-based measures,” the policy stated.

A key focus of the policy is transforming Maharashtra into a slum-free state through large-scale rehabilitation and redevelopment projects. The policy prioritises the needs of low-income earners, senior citizens, women, industrial workers, and students.

Affordable housing has been granted infrastructure status, enabling developers to access external commercial borrowing (ECB) and foreign direct investment (FDI). It also qualifies for priority sector lending (PSL) from banks and housing finance companies (HFCs).

The policy advocates for the redevelopment of old buildings to enhance living conditions and optimise land use. It also promotes the development of integrated townships that combine affordable housing with essential services.

“The state-level portal will soon be developed for providing information on housing development through government-private sector partnership, through developers and also through state-run undertakings,” the policy noted.

Recognising diverse housing needs, the policy includes provisions for industrial workers, senior citizens, working women, students, project-affected persons (PAPs), and migrant workers. A notable feature is the ‘Walk to Work’ concept, which reserves 10% to 30% of land in Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) areas for housing.

“Such land should be handed over to the appropriate authority at the applicable acquisition price, so that authority can create adequate housing stock in such areas. The authority can also partner with private industries to provide housing for industrial workers in a public-private partnership model,” the policy explained.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a high tide advisory for Mumbai from July 24 to July 27, predicting high tide levels above 4.5 meters. An orange alert has been declared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) due to expected heavy to very heavy rainfall.

On July 24, a high tide of 4.57 meters is anticipated at 11:57 AM, followed by 4.66 meters at 12:40 PM on July 25, 4.67 meters at 1:20 PM on July 26, and 4.60 meters at 1:56 PM on July 27. The highest tide this season reached 4.75 meters on June 26.

The IMD forecasts a generally cloudy sky with significant rainfall likely in certain areas of Mumbai and surroundings on July 24, alongside gusty winds of 40 to 50 km/h issuing orange alert in city and red alert in Konkan region.

Today’s Tide Times

July 24: Low Tide at 5:07 AM (0.43 m), High Tide at 11:58 AM (4.57 m), Low Tide at 6:13 PM (1.62 m), High Tide at 11:40 PM (3.72 m). Residents, particularly in low-lying and coastal areas, are advised to exercise caution during high tide hours due to possible waterlogging and flooding. Emergency services are on standby as the city faces heightened monsoon activity.

High Tide Details Till July 30

From July 24th to 31st, 2025, Mumbai will experience two daily high and low tides. High tides will peak at 4.66 meters on July 26th at 1:15 PM and reach a low of 3.71 meters on July 28th at 2:34 AM.

Low tides will predominantly be below 1.73 meters, with a low of -0.3 meters on July 24th at 5:07 AM. The highest low tide will be 1.73 meters on July 31st at 9:40 AM. Sunrise will shift from 6:13 AM to 6:15 AM, while sunset will range from 7:14 PM to 7:17 PM.

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches at multiple premises linked to industrialist Anil Ambani in Mumbai. The raids, carried out by teams from Delhi and Mumbai, are reportedly part of a larger money laundering investigation. Sources suggest the action is connected to financial irregularities and offshore transactions flagged in earlier probes.

The ED has not issued an official statement yet, but officials confirmed the searches are ongoing. This development marks a significant escalation in the scrutiny of the businessman’s financial dealings and corporate entities under his control.