State govt clears hurdles for URS redevelopment of unsafe Navi Mumbai buildings

In Vashi Sector 9, several CIDCO-built housing complexes such as JAPS Cooperative Housing Society and Nakshatra Apartment include flats of less than 30 sq metres, originally constructed for EWS, LIG and MIG families. With ageing infrastructure and poor maintenance over time, many buildings have turned unsafe

NAVI MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has taken a key policy decision to speed up the redevelopment of old, dilapidated and unsafe residential buildings in Navi Mumbai under the Urban Renewal Scheme (URS), ending long-standing confusion over rules that had stalled several projects.

Navi Mumbai, India - Jan. 21, 2026:Green signal for redevelopment of unsafe CIDCO housing at Nakshatra CHS Sector 9 , Vashi in Navi Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

The urban development department issued detailed clarifications after receiving a communication from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). A senior NMMC official said the move will help clear repeated objections that arose due to inconsistent interpretation of URS provisions, even after structural audits had declared buildings unfit for habitation.

Under the clarification, greater decision-making powers have been delegated to the municipal commissioner or a high-powered committee to take site-specific calls. This includes permitting mixed residential-commercial redevelopment, relaxing parking norms in genuine hardship cases, allowing recreational open spaces to be provided in phases, and enabling the mandatory 10% amenity space to be accommodated within buildings where a separate plot is not feasible.

In Vashi Sector 9, several CIDCO-built housing complexes such as JAPS Cooperative Housing Society and Nakshatra Apartment include flats of less than 30 sq metres, originally constructed for EWS, LIG and MIG families. With ageing infrastructure and poor maintenance over time, many buildings have turned unsafe.

Shiv Sena’s Navi Mumbai chief and corporator Kishor Patkar, who has been involved in redevelopment-related follow-ups, said the clarification addresses a major bottleneck. He said proposals were earlier delayed due to confusion over eligibility and because rules meant for slums or unauthorised structures were wrongly applied to authorised CIDCO buildings.

Residents of the Simplex Housing Project in Ghansoli Sector 7 have also received relief, as the government has approved redevelopment of seven CIDCO-built housing complexes under URS. Habitability reports submitted by IIT Kharagpur and assessments by NMMC’s empanelled structural engineers had classified the buildings as C-1 (extremely dangerous). A committee constituted under UDCPR Regulation 10.10.2 inspected the site and, by a majority decision, recommended demolition and redevelopment.

The NMMC had informed the state government that the buildings showed severe structural damage, including deteriorated slabs, walls and drainage systems, posing serious risk to residents.

The government has now clarified that once the high-powered committee grants formal approval, redevelopment can proceed under UDCPR Regulation 14.8.1 (iii)(f) without further objections.

What the government’s URS clarification means

-Removes procedural ambiguities that stalled redevelopment of unsafe CIDCO-built housing

-Guarantees a minimum 37.50 sq m home for residents of sub-30 sq m flats after redevelopment

-Confirms that slum or unauthorised redevelopment rules do not apply to authorised CIDCO buildings

-Gives the NMMC commissioner or a high-powered committee discretion over mixed use, parking norms, open spaces and amenities based on site conditions

-Allows the mandatory 10% amenity space to be provided within buildings where separate plots are not feasible

-Sets a wider precedent for faster, time-bound redevelopment of ageing CIDCO housing across Navi Mumbai