Larger flats to replace chawls

The 200-odd buildings at Worli,Naigaon,Sewri and NM Joshi Marg that make up the Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawls were constructed by the British in the 1920s to house the city’s homeless. However,with few takers for the poorly-ventilated rooms,it was down the years used as a jail for satyagrahis. A total of 16,544 families,including those of 2,900 police constables,now live in the cramped 160-sq ft tenements with common toilets and corridors.

Post redevelopment,all existing residents will be rehoused in larger 300-sq ft homes. With a floor space index of four,the extra houses constructed will either remain with the private developer or be shared with the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA),depending on which of the two models is implemented by the government.

Under the cluster redevelopment model,developers who have over 70 per cent consent of tenants in a particular pocket will be allowed to execute the project. While the developer will get to sell a specific number of flats for his profit element,a significant number of these homes will be handed over to MHADA. The MTSU report estimates that implementing the cluster model for BDD chawls will generate a housing stock of 4,900 affordable homes with an average area of 500 sq ft in the heart of Central Mumbai. These flats could be sold at MHADA controlled rates.

As for the Dharavi model,the report states that since the developer gets to sell all the additional flats at market rates,there would be no generation of affordable homes. Instead,the government will get considerable revenue by calling for bids from developers who want to take up pieces of land for redevelopment.

MTSU project director UPS Madan said the report is based on a door-to-door survey of the size,economic status of families as well as other factors like the rent paid by them and their satisfaction levels. “We have explained the pros and cons of both models of redevelopment in the report. Now,it is up to the governments to decide what aspects are more relevant to them.”

The report,for instance,points out that the Dharavi model would be entirely based on private participation,which would mean that the government will not be able to regulate the prices or size of the additional homes generated. However,it states that the model will mean immediate revenue generation for the state coffers. As for the cluster model,while affordable homes would be generated,the comparatively less revenue from selling these would come only after the completion of the project.