Stuck in communication trouble between civic departments, residents of 19 dilapidated buildings say they are left with no choice. Facing prolonged bureaucratic hurdles and uncertain timelines, residents of 19 ageing buildings near the historic Elphinstone Bridge are preparing to submit their own redevelopment proposal
It has been over a month, and the residents of 19 buildings have received no communication from the authorities. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Facing prolonged bureaucratic hurdles and uncertain timelines, residents of 19 ageing buildings near the historic Elphinstone Bridge are preparing to submit their own redevelopment proposal to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
It has been over a month, and we have received no communication from the authorities. The MMRDA keeps saying they’ve had no updates from the Urban Development (UD) department, so they cannot make any commitments,” said Akshay Sutar, a resident of Lakshmi Niwas. While the residents are caught in bureaucratic limbo, several private developers have shown interest in stepping in. “Around five developers have approached us, mostly focusing on Haji Nurani and Lakshmi Niwas. However, one group has expressed interest in cluster redevelopment of all 19 buildings,” said Munaf Thakur, secretary of Haji Nurani. A copy of the letter of interest submitted by a private developer for cluster redevelopment is with mid-day.
The residents’ move comes after months of delay in the government’s cluster redevelopment plan, which was announced in April following intense protests over the proposed demolition of the British-era bridge. While the state had promised rehabilitation of affected residents in the same area under Development Control and Promotion Regulation (DCPR) 33(9), locals say there has been no progress on the ground.
Two of the buildings — Haji Nurani and Lakshmi Niwas — which were to be among the first to be demolished for the new Elphinstone Bridge pillars, were also recently named in MHADA’s list of 96 dilapidated buildings. “Even today (Thursday), MHADA officials came and pasted another notice, which they claimed was for awareness. But it was the same one they put up days ago — asking us to either find redevelopment options or vacate our homes within three months,” said Rabiya Thakur, another resident of Haji Nurani. Regarding MHADA’s announcement of R20,000 per month as rent compensation, residents raised concerns. “First of all, we’ve already told them we don’t want any money. We just want to be relocated to the Priyadarshini Building nearby, which has vacant rooms. Why can’t they shift us there? Secondly, there’s no clarity on whether the Rs 20,000 will continue till we get possession of redeveloped homes,” Rabiya added.
Haji Nurani and Lakshmi Niwas, were be demolished for Elphinstone Bridge pillars. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Self-redevelopment possible?
Since MHADA has declared Haji Nurani and Lakshmi Nivas as dilapidated, they are eligible for self-redevelopment under MHADA Act sections 79(A) and 79(B). The remaining 17 buildings, all over 30 years old, can also qualify for redevelopment. “Our building falls under the Enemy Property Act, and our legal case was cleared in 2013. Since then, tenants have maintained the building on their own. We are eligible for self-redevelopment,” said Munaf. “Now, all 19 buildings will hold a joint meeting with the developer who has proposed cluster redevelopment. Once we’re aligned, we will submit a proposal to the authorities. Hopefully, they’ll give us a green signal at least then.”
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