Redevelopment momentum is building across Navi Mumbai, with 28 residential proposals currently underway within the limits of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). The majority of these projects are concentrated in Vashi and Nerul, two of the city’s oldest planned nodes.
Many buildings constructed by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) between 1975 and 1995 have now crossed the 30-year threshold, making them eligible for redevelopment under prevailing regulations. Officials note that these structures, developed during Navi Mumbai’s formative years, are now showing signs of structural fatigue, outdated facilities and limited parking provisions.
“Most of these structures were built during the initial planning phase of Navi Mumbai. After three to four decades, structural fatigue, outdated amenities and limited parking have made redevelopment a necessity rather than a choice,” a senior civic official from the town planning department.
Of the 28 proposals, 10 are in Vashi and another 10 in Nerul. In Vashi, Sector 9 has emerged as a key cluster, followed by Sectors 10, 6 and 9A. Nerul’s Sectors 18 and 19 are similarly witnessing multiple projects. Urban planners observe that redevelopment is unfolding in clusters, as buildings constructed during the same period are reaching the reconstruction stage together.
“Redevelopment is not happening randomly. It is cluster-driven. Societies in the same sector, built around the same time, are reaching the redevelopment stage simultaneously,” an urban planning expert noted.
Activity in Koparkhairane and Belapur remains moderate, while Airoli and Sanpada have seen fewer proposals, largely due to relatively newer housing stock.
The acceleration is attributed to incentives under the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) 2020, including 35 per cent incentive FSI for first-constructed CIDCO buildings and an additional 10 per cent for larger plots. Societies also benefit from extra carpet area provisions.
“Earlier FSI limits made redevelopment financially challenging. The revised provisions have improved viability and encouraged both societies and developers to move forward,” a planning consultant associated with redevelopment projects said.
Navi Mumbai has nearly 92,856 CIDCO-built tenements, with about 1,995 buildings over 30 years old. Many lack modern fire safety systems, updated electrical infrastructure and adequate lifts.
“People are looking for safer structures, better amenities and more usable space. Redevelopment gives them that chance,” Sunita Pal, said a housing society member from Vashi.
Officials maintain that the city’s infrastructure, including water supply from Morbe Dam, sewage treatment facilities and road networks, can support additional density. However, experts stress that infrastructure upgrades must keep pace.
“Navi Mumbai was designed as a planned satellite city. Now it is entering its second phase of urban evolution. If redevelopment is executed systematically, it can modernise housing stock while preserving the city’s planned character,” a senior official said.
With aging buildings and improved regulatory incentives, redevelopment in older CIDCO nodes is expected to gather further pace in the coming years.
Source: The Free Press Journal
