Mumbai: Mumbai’s real estate sector is experiencing the land shortage and it is looking towards city’s salt pan lands as the next real estate jackpot. The eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai consist more than around 5,500 acres of the eco-sensitive salt pans.The salt department which owns these lands, although they were leased decades ago is fighting in various courts trying to save these lands. Last month the department declared that Bhandup 500 acre salt pan belongs to it and prohibited people from entering into any salt pan related transactions.The salt department owned these lands in Mumbai, which were leased to salt manufacturers around a decade ago. But these manufacturers have secretly involved in the land deals with real estate developers to develop this land in case the government decides to give them to manufacturers.The salt department officials said that these are the only lands in Mumbai which act as the natural sponge for the rain water. Salt pan lands will be the only option to prevent flooding in the future naturally hence they need to be prevented.The salt department leased the land located on both sides of the Eastern Express Highway to the Garodia family about 60 years ago. But the Garodia have tied up a deal with the real estate developer Shapoorji Pallonji imparting all development rights to the developer if the land becomes available for the development in future.