Over 100 residents of BDD chawl sign pact with MHADA

A major feat has been achieved in BDD Chawl redevelopment. More than 100 residents from NM Joshi marg BDD Chawl have finally signed the agreement with MHADA. The ambitious BDD Chawl redevelopment is expected to start within a 30-day period and NM Joshi's BDD chawl is from where it will begin. Out of 500-plus residents 408 residents have been allotted transit accommodation within 2 kilometre of their current stay, MHADA gave all of them agreement copies and once they sign it, they are even provided with 'movers and packers' services to shift their belongings. Of these 400 tenants nearly 100 have signed and submitted their agreement to MHADA. After an incident of slab collapse last month MHADA made a vigorous attempt to shift the tenants.

Last month a small portion of the slab in one of the BDD chawls located in NM Joshi Marg came crashing down. Luckily there were no casualties reported, but this brought to the fore, the issue that these close to 95 year old buildings need an urgent redevelopment. MHADA which is carrying out the redevelopment of BDD chawls in Mumbai says that transit camps within central Mumbai has been made available to the tenants, but tenants haven't yet shifted. Tenants say that most of them have signed the agreement and given it to MHADA for registration of the agreement, but yet are waiting because they won't move out unless the eligibility of remaining nearly 80-tenants is decided. They are hopeful that within a month's time it will be decided and in November all of them will move to transit camps.

Of the total 32 buildings in NM Joshi Marg, there are are seven buildings which have been taken up for redevelopment in phase 1. According to a senior MHADA official looking after the redevelopment, there are more than 500 tenants in these buildings that is undergoing redevelopment in the first phase and of that more than 400 people have been found eligible, while the eligibility of remaining 80 and more tenants is yet to be decided. "We have even finalised the transit camps which are within a two kilometer radius of the existing BDD chawls. However, because of some or other reason, the tenants weren't vacating the dilapidated building and have stay put here. However, things have changed post the last month's incident, where almost 100 tenants have signed the agreement and handed it over to us, we are in process of registering the agreements."

The officer claims that, Instead of the small homes where the tenants currently, they will be given bigger homes with attached toilets in the transit camps.

However, tenants claim they are ready to shift, but MHADA should first fix the eligibility of the remaining 80-tenants. "We are expecting and we have even been assured by MHADA that within a month's time the eligibility issue for the remaining tenants will be finalised. Yes more than half of the eligible tenants have signed the agreements with MHADA and have handed it to MHADA for registration of agreement. We hope that by Dilwai everything is finalised and we all will move to the transit camps. We cannot leave our neighbours alone and hence have taken this stand in a meeting and informed MHADA," said Krishnkant Nalge, the chairman of one of the committees of BDD chawl redevelopment. Post redevelopment the tenants are expected to get two bedroom hall kitchen flats measuring 500 sq ft instead of their single rooms apartments that they occupy today.

N M Joshi Marg, Lower Parel:

Chawls: 32
Tenants: 2,560
Funds: Rs 2,460 crore+
Tender Won by: Shapoorij Pallonji