October 31, 2025: In a major relief for residents affected by the Worli–Shivdi elevated road project, 83 families from two chawls in Prabhadevi — Haji Noorani and Lakshmi Niwas — will soon be allotted MHADA homes. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has allocated approximately Rs 98.55 crore for the construction of these new houses. However, the issue of redeveloping the 17 remaining chawls in the area continues to be unresolved.
The 4.5-km Worli–Shivdi elevated corridor requires the demolition of the pre-independence Elphinstone Bridge, which will be replaced by a two-tier bridge. The demolition of the two chawls displaced 83 families (60 from Lakshmi Niwas and 23 from Haji Noorani). Initially, the MMRDA offered compensation based on the ready reckoner rate, but residents protested, arguing that market prices were almost double and demanded either equivalent compensation or homes in the same locality.
Following these protests, Deputy Chief Minister and MMRDA Chairman Eknath Shinde intervened last month and decided to allot new homes to the affected families with 35% more space than their current units. “Those whose existing houses are 300 square feet in area will now get houses of 405 square feet,” an official said.
The new houses will be constructed within Mumbai’s G-North, F-North, and F-South wards instead of the initially proposed Kamani area in Kurla. The Elphinstone Bridge’s main deck has already been excavated, and full demolition will commence once railway approvals are received. The new bridge, connecting Prabhadevi–Parel at the lower level and Worli–Shivdi at the upper level, is expected to be ready within two years.
Meanwhile, residents of the 17 nearby old chawls await clarity on their cluster redevelopment proposal, pending a decision from the Urban Development Department.
Source: Maharashtra Times
