Deadlock in redevelopment of 388 old MHADA buildings continues
Ten months after a notification for redeveloping 388 old MHADA buildings, 27,373 flat owners still await a government resolution, stalling redevelopment efforts.
Mumbai: Ten months after it appeared that a deadlock in the redevelopment of 388 old and dilapidated buildings belonging to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) had been broken, as many as 27,373 flat owners are still waiting with no end in sight.
In November last year, the Maharashtra government published a notification to allow the redevelopment of these buildings, which are at least three decades old, with additional floor space incentives for builders. However, a government resolution or GR on the same still hasn’t been issued.
“In the absence of a GR, our redevelopment can not take off,” said Vinita Rane, secretary of MHADA Kruti Samiti, a flat owners’ group that has been demanding redevelopment. “We are facing difficulties as MHADA officials expressed their inability to execute the plans on the basis of notification. We also have other issues like concession in premium and demand of cluster development. We tried to meet MHADA vice president Sanjeev Jaiswal, but we did not get the appointment.”
MHADA had redeveloped these 388 buildings three to four decades ago by demolishing around 900 old and dilapidated buildings. Now, they’re in need of redevelopment again. These buildings spread across areas like Colaba, Girgaon, Mumba Devi, Byculla, Sewri, Prabhadevi, and Mahim. Each building has around 80-100 flats.
After the issue was raised in the monsoon session of the state legislature last year, chief minister Eknath Shinde announced that the buildings would be redeveloped with all benefits under regulation 33 (7) of the development control rules (DCR). The regulation states that all present occupants (flat owners) get free rehabilitation, and the developer gets Floor Space Index (FSI) incentives to recover the cost and earn some profit.
Accordingly, in November 2023, the state government’s urban development department issued a notice to amend the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) developmental control rule 33 (24) to give a minimum of 300 sq-ft homes to people living in homes sized 100-200 sq ft. According to the amendment notice, there will be a cap on the area to make projects viable.
FSI incentives have been given based on the size of the plot and rate of construction and range from 75% to 100 %. The basic condition for getting a 100% FSI incentive is that the redevelopment should be composite with more than six plots.
However, 10 months later, the flat owners are still waiting for the GR to be issued. Eknath Rajapure, working president of the Kruti Samiti, said there is unrest among around 150,000 residents living in the 27,373 flats in these old MHADA buildings due to the negligence.
“MHADA is our land owner,, so the agency should take initiative to ensure procedural compliance. So, now, we have decided to carry out a march of 27,373 people in the last week of August against the state government and MHADA,” said Rajapure.
When contacted, an official from the urban development department, on condition of anonymity, said that after the notification was issued in November, the provisions in it became applicable. They added that although a GR is necessary, it’s not mandatory.