September 25, 2025: Since June, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority’s (MHADA) Mumbai Building Repair and Reconstruction Board has been overseeing the tender process for the redevelopment of Kamathipura in South Mumbai. However, after three months, the process remains incomplete, and the board has now extended the deadline by another week.
The repeated postponements are delaying the execution of the long-awaited redevelopment project. Kamathipura spans roughly 34 acres and comprises 475 cessed buildings, 163 non-cessed structures, 15 reconstructed buildings, as well as PMGP properties. In addition, 52 structures have collapsed over time. The area also contains 15 places of worship, two educational institutions, four government buildings, and eight other facilities. Currently, Kamathipura is home to 6,073 residents and 1,342 non-residents.
Many of the buildings in Kamathipura are old and began deteriorating from the 1990s onwards. At present, the structures are largely beyond repair, making comprehensive redevelopment essential. Consequently, the state government entrusted the task to the Mumbai Building Repair and Reconstruction Board.
The board followed due procedures and, with state government approval, issued tenders for the project on 12 June in line with Construction and Development Agency (C&D) guidelines. Despite this, the tender process has been repeatedly extended, reportedly at the request of interested companies. The board asserts that these extensions are necessary to accommodate participants, but the delays are affecting the overall project timeline.
The deadline for submissions was initially set for Wednesday, 24 September, but the board extended it once again, now setting a final date of 30 September. It remains uncertain whether tenders will be opened on this date or if further extensions will follow, prolonging the redevelopment of one of Mumbai’s oldest and most densely populated neighbourhoods.
Source: The Free Press Journal
