First group of BDD chawl residents who were handed over keys to new homes by CM express joy, reservations about shifting into swanky high-rises
The first 16 beneficiaries who received the key to their new home on Thursday. PIC/MHADA
After decades of living in cramped rooms measuring around 160 sq ft and using shared toilets, hundreds of families from Mumbai’s iconic BDD (Bombay Development Directorate) chawls will soon start a new chapter — literally with the turn of a key. On Thursday, residents from the first phase of the BDD Chawl Redevelopment Project received possession of their brand-new flats in high-rise towers, marking a historic milestone in one of the city’s most ambitious housing transformation projects, further boosting the national goal of housing for all.
A new high-rise, which stands where the BDD chawls stood, in Worli. PIC/KIRTI SURVE PARADE
The keys were handed over by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. While it was initially announced that all 556 eligible residents from two completed rehabilitation buildings would be handed over keys, due to time constraints, only 16 owners received their keys as a sign of successful completion. The BDD chawls, built in the 1920s to house mill workers and government employees, have been a defining feature of central Mumbai for nearly a century. Rows of low-rise buildings with open verandas and common water taps became more than just homes — they were tightly-knit communities where neighbours became extended family. But over time, the structures deteriorated, and calls for redevelopment grew louder.
Chandrakant Bavdekar, 80, and his wife, Nishigandha, show the ownership papers of their new home. PIC/RITIKA GONDHALEKAR
Nostalgic beneficiaries
“I can’t believe this is ours,” said 76-year-old Smita Shetye, her voice shaking with a mix of disbelief and joy as she shared her experience of receiving the key to her dream home on Thursday. “Multiple families used to share one toilet. Now I have my own bathroom. Not just us, my sons’ children have also been born and brought up in the same house, which means four generations have lived there.” For most of her life, Shetye, who married the late Raghunath Shetye in 1967, resided in a 160 sq ft room, first with her in-laws and later with her husband, three sons and two nieces in the Worli chawl.
An undated photo of a Bombay Development Directorate chawl. PIC/By Special Arrangement
“Before we got independence, a jail stood on that land. After our leaders made our country free from the clutches of the British government, the then government began commanding us to leave the area. But my father-in-law broke the patras (tin sheets) and trespassed. And that’s how our life in the BDD chawl began. Even today, my father-in-law’s name is mentioned in the BDD office’s list of trespassers,” said Shetye.
‘Hope human bond isn’t lost’
Echoing similar sentiments, another beneficiary, Chandrakant Bavdekar, 80, sharing his happiness, told mid-day, “Our life is almost over now. But we are happy about this big home and happier that at least our children and grandchildren can reap the benefits. It was a long-standing dream that has finally come true.” However, amid the joy, there is also a tinge of sadness. The residents admitted they would miss the warmth and camaraderie of chawl life.
Beneficiary Smita Shetye shows a photo of her old BDD house. PIC/RITIKA GONDHALEKAR
“In the chawl, doors were always open, and people dropped by without notice. Here, everyone will be behind closed doors. I hope we don’t lose that connection. At our old home, I could step out for work, leaving behind my wife and children. It never felt unsafe, as many people were always around. From sharing happy days to helping each other in dire situations, everyone was always available for each other. But now, once we close the door of our house, no one would know who’s doing what. From the thought of it, it feels like we will be stuck in a box. Though our old neighbours will be around on various floors, the accessibility will surely reduce,” said Bavdekar.
Seema Shetye
On the other hand, the younger generation is happy about shifting to a bigger home, though they did have some reservations about the same. “My school-going son is happy. He says that now he can also tell his friends that he lives in a big house. But he also says that he will miss his friends from the old neighbourhood a lot. For us, while it’s a proud moment, we don’t know how we will manage living on such high floors. When we shifted to a transit flat on the eighth floor, we struggled to adjust a bit, as all our lives we have either lived on the ground floor or, at max, on the first floor. Now the new house is on the 20th floor. I am a bit worried as to how we will digest the fact that we are living at such a height, and the wind flow will be heavy. But I guess that’s what life is all about — finding happiness in the positives and overcoming the negatives of any situation,” said Seema Shetye, Smita’s daughter-in-law.
Under the state government’s redevelopment plan, each eligible BDD tenant is entitled to a free flat measuring around 500 sq ft in a modern tower, along with access to amenities like lifts, landscaped gardens, and community halls.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
