MHADA to build 10,000 low-cost homes in Lanka

After building 8,182 low-cost houses in the last three years in Mumbai, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has been shortlisted by the Central government to undertake housing projects in the strife-torn Sri Lanka.

After building 8,182 low-cost houses in the last three years in Mumbai, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has been shortlisted by the Central government to undertake housing projects in the strife-torn Sri Lanka.

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The Central government has chosen five parties to build 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka of which MHADA will have to construct 10,000.

Gautam Chatterjee, vice-president and CEO, MHADA, called it a challenge.

“This is our first project outside the state and our team is ready to take it up,” said Chatterjee.

For years, the internal fight launched by the Liberation Tigers of Tiger Eelam (LTTE) against the government has ravaged Sri Lanka. However, last year, the Sri Lankan government decimated the LTTE but in the process, there was heavy loss of life and property.

Mhada will undertake the task of planning, designing as well supervising the whole initiative.

Till date, MHADA has constructed 104 colonies across Mumbai, where more than two lakh families reside.

In recent times, the MHADA, under Chatterjee and Mumbai board head Amarjeet Singh Manhas, has been responsible for a slew of measures such as good quality low-cost houses, computerised lottery system for their allotment as well as constituting an oversight committee of experts to oversee the process.

The MHADA is also going eco-friendly. It is building 4,741 green buildings equipped with solar panels as well as water harvesting and recycling plants.

These green buildings are expected to be ready by next year.