BDD Chawls: 557 Lower Parel families to get new homes on Nov 6

Eligible residents, many of whom have lived in 160 sq ft rooms for generations, will receive 500 sq ft two-bedroom flats free of cost

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will hand over keys to 557 flats in the BDD Chawl redevelopment project at Lower Parel on November 6, marking the first phase of rehabilitation at the site.

The first phase of the BDD Chawls Lower Parel redevelopment project comprises seven residential wings and a hospital building.

Eligible residents, many of whom have lived in 160 sq ft rooms for generations, will receive 500 sq ft two-bedroom flats free of cost, said a spokesperson for the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada), which is implementing the project through its vertical, the Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board.

The keys to the flats will be handed over at a ceremony at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Nariman Point on November 6, with deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, and other state ministers also present.

There are currently 32 three-storey BDD chawls spread across 13.49 acres at NM Joshi Marg in Lower Parel, housing 2,560 residential and non-residential occupants.

The redevelopment is taking place in two phases, with a total of 14 22-storey rehabilitation buildings planned. Around 65% of the land has been earmarked for rehabilitation.

The first phase comprises seven residential wings and a hospital building. While keys to 557 flats across three wings are being distributed, construction of another 684 flats in the remaining four wings is in its final stage. The project was originally scheduled for completion in February 2026 but missed the deadline. For the second phase, the eligibility of 1,200 occupants from 15 chawls has been finalised.

The redeveloped complex is planned as a self-sufficient residential colony, with amenities including a hospital, a separate welfare centre, a sewage treatment plant, solar energy systems and rainwater harvesting facilities. Mhada will maintain the common facilities in the rehabilitation buildings for 12 years.

The broader Bombay Development Department (BDD) Chawl redevelopment initiative covers 195 chawls spread across approximately 86 acres in Worli, Lower Parel and Naigaon. Built in the 1920s to house textile mill, port and railway workers, the chawls are being redeveloped to rehabilitate 15,593 residents in new buildings.

Mhada has already begun handing over rehabilitation flats in the Worli and Naigaon projects. In Worli, 556 flats were handed over in August 2025, followed by further distributions in May and September. In Naigaon, 864 flats were distributed in March 2026, followed by another 537 in June.

Across the three locations, the redevelopment programme covers 9,689 residential and non-residential tenements in Worli, 2,560 in Lower Parel and 3,344 in Naigaon. The plans include 34 rehabilitation buildings in Worli, 14 in Lower Parel and 20 in Naigaon.