State approves redevelopment of Kamathipura

The state government has decided to appoint Mhada, the state’s housing development body, as the nodal agency and special planning authority for the project. The proposal was approved by the state cabinet in a meeting during the legislature’s winter session in Nagpur

Mumbai: In a major move, the Maharashtra government has approved the redevelopment of Kamathipura, the settlement spread over 27.59 acres in South Mumbai. This will be the biggest cluster redevelopment project of the city, even bigger than the ongoing Bhendi Bazaar project which covers 16.5 acres.

According to the housing department, there are 943 cess buildings over 100 years old housing 8,238 tenants. There are also 349 non-cess buildings, 14 religious structures, two schools and four reserved plots that will be covered under the project. Eleven redeveloped buildings constructed by Mhada will also be part of it. (Hindustan Times)

The state government has decided to appoint Mhada, the state’s housing development body, as the nodal agency and special planning authority for the project. The proposal was approved by the state cabinet in a meeting during the legislature’s winter session in Nagpur.

The project will be based on the lines of the BDD chawls redevelopment and will be held under Development Control Rule 33(9), which governs reconstruction or redevelopment of cessed buildings or urban renewal schemes in the island city. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the housing portfolio, confirmed the development.

Most of the existing structures at Kamathipura are old and in dilapidated condition, ranging from 161 square feet to 1,614 square feet. “The locality also has gullies (lanes between buildings) that are very narrow,” said officials from the state housing department. “Thus, independent redevelopment of those structures is impossible. Cluster redevelopment is the only way out.”

According to the housing department, there are 943 cess buildings over 100 years old housing 8,238 tenants. There are also 349 non-cess buildings, 14 religious structures, two schools and four reserved plots that will be covered under the project. Eleven redeveloped buildings constructed by Mhada will also be part of it.

“Of the 943 buildings, 180 were in a dilapidated condition, and their tenants have already been shifted to transit camps,” said a senior official from the housing department. “Mhada will prepare a detailed project report (DPR) and will also appoint a developer for the project.”

This is not the first time that a proposal has been put forth for the redevelopment of Kamathipura. In the 1980s, Mhada carried out a comprehensive survey as the first step towards transforming the entire neighbourhood through an urban renewal proposal, but the project was stalled citing financial risks. In 2005, a local private developer expressed his interest in undertaking the redevelopment of a large part of Kamathipura according to a report prepared by Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

This time the state government has decided to constitute three different committees to ensure that the project is successfully executed and without delays. The first committee called the ‘project feasibility committee’ will consist of Mhada and BMC officials who will determine the actual area that will come under redevelopment, determine the eligibility of the tenants and help in getting approvals from at least 51 percent of tenants to take the project ahead.

For speedy implementation of the project, a high-powered committee headed by the additional chief secretary of the housing department will clear all the proposals related to the project. The committee will also examine the DPR prepared by Mhada, approve the appointment of the developer, review the project at regular intervals and coordinate with various government departments.

A ten-member project monitoring committee headed by the chief secretary will help in resolving the difficulties that may come in the way of the project. This committee will also resolve disputes among departments and will be able to take a decision on the amalgamation of a government plot if required for the project.