June 25, 2025: Kamathipura, one of Mumbai’s oldest neighbourhoods, is on the cusp of a historic transformation as the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has floated tenders for its cluster redevelopment. The agency now seeks to appoint a construction and development partner to undertake the massive urban renewal in this densely populated precinct of south Mumbai.
The project will encompass the redevelopment of 943 cessed and 350 non-cessed buildings, alongside 14 religious institutions and two municipal schools. Most of these structures are over a century old, many in a state of disrepair. The scheme covers nearly 9,761 tenements—including 8,385 residential and 1,376 commercial units—as well as 1,760 landlord-held premises. Presently, residents live in cramped homes, some as small as 60 square feet. The redevelopment promises upgraded housing of approximately 500 square feet per residential unit and equivalent commercial space.
Planned under Regulation 33(9) of the Development Control Regulations, the scheme will be implemented by the Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board, a MHADA wing. The selected developer will receive around 567,000 square metres in development rights. Approximately 4,500 new homes are expected to be built. Approved by the state cabinet in December 2022, the 27.59-acre redevelopment will be Mumbai’s largest Brownfield project, set to benefit nearly 100,000 residents.
Kamathipura’s history stretches back to the early 19th century when ‘Kamathi’ workers from Hyderabad settled here. Once a hub for construction labour and later associated with the textile boom, the area’s social legacy includes contributions to the Dalit Panther movement and the Samyukta Maharashtra campaign. While the locality became known for the sex trade in the colonial period, it has since evolved into a marketplace for textiles and electronics. Residents now look forward to a dignified future—shedding dated stereotypes and embracing the promise of modern living.
Source: India Today
