Bhendi Bazaar revamp on, but...

While the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust has agreed to sell fewer apartments to get the state environmental panel’s go-ahead for the Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment scheme, the move has affected the feasibility of the project.

While the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust has agreed to sell fewer apartments to get the state environmental panel’s go-ahead for the Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment scheme, the move has affected the feasibility of the project.

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“Slashing the number of flats by 120 will certainly impact the feasibility. But, as we are committed to offer quality life to the residents, we agreed to part with our sale component,” said Abbas Master, chief executive officer, SBUT.

The project aims at rehabilitating 3,200 residents and 1,250 commercial establishments in the 16.5-acre Bhendi Bazaar area.

In addition, the trust has also agreed to widen the road from the earlier 16ft to 16.5ft.

The state environment impact assessment authority wanted the trust to cut down the number of tenements. Not doing so would have made the density in the area 1000 people for a hectare, which is significantly high compared to the 600 for a hectare specified in the Development Control Regulations.

The trust claims that it would hardly be able to recover its development cost from the commercial shops as it has agreed to offer an incentive of 20% area to the shopkeepers who shift to the first floor and 30% area to those on the second floor.

There are 1,250 commercial premises and all cannot be rehabilitated on the ground floor.

While there were rumours of discrimination against non-Bohras and shifting of a religious structure in the vicinity, the trust has denied any such development.