The Mumbai Building Repair and Redevelopment Board of MHADA has decided to undertake the redevelopment of the Umarkhadi area in Byculla on its own, moving away from the Construction and Development (C&D) model. The project will be implemented in two phases, with a proposal for the redevelopment of 36 buildings in the first phase already submitted to the Housing Department for approval.
The redevelopment plan covers 81 cessed and PMGP buildings spread across 6.23 acres in Umarkhadi. Under the proposal, 1,928 existing residents living in homes measuring around 180 sq ft will receive new 500-sq-ft houses.
The project is expected to provide larger and improved-quality homes to eligible residents while also generating additional housing stock for MHADA. Sources said the redevelopment across both phases could create additional homes spread over nearly 7.5 lakh sq ft, which the housing authority can subsequently offer for sale through a lottery.
36 Buildings In First Phase
The Repair Board has prepared the redevelopment proposal for the entire Umarkhadi cluster. The first phase will cover 36 of the 81 buildings, and the proposal has been forwarded to the Housing Department for approval.
A separate proposal for the remaining buildings will be prepared and submitted once the first phase moves forward. The project is expected to be undertaken directly by the Repair Board, following an approach similar to the redevelopment model adopted for BDD projects, rather than relying on the C&D model.
The decision comes as MHADA continues to explore cluster-based redevelopment to address ageing and dilapidated housing stock in densely populated parts of Mumbai.
Additional Housing Stock For MHADA
According to the original redevelopment proposal, all 1,928 residents across the 81 buildings will be eligible for 500-sq-ft homes, significantly increasing their existing living space.
The redevelopment will also create a substantial inventory of additional homes for MHADA. Sources said approximately 7.5 lakh sq ft of additional housing could become available to the authority across the two phases.
The project is expected to improve living conditions in Umarkhadi while allowing MHADA to generate additional housing stock that can be offered to eligible buyers through its lottery system.
Source: Loksatta
