Explained: Why has Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment work come to a halt?

Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment is arguably the single-largest urban renewal project in the country. The project will transpose the 200-year-old market, made up of commercial and residential buildings, into a well-planned neighbourhood of swanky high-rises.

The redevelopment project, being undertaken by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT), will contain eight clusters of buildings for the 20,000-odd residents of the locality. The project has been envisaged by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT), a not-for-profit public charitable trust, affiliated to Mumbai’s prosperous Bohra community.

The project was envisaged in 2009 to “uplift” the lives of around 25,000 people living and working in Bhendi Bazaar area regardless of their caste, religion or sect.

Current status

The SBUT’s cluster redevelopment project involves redevelopment of more than 3,200 households and 1,200 businesses spread over a 16.5-acre sprawl and a cluster of 280 plots.

These all are being incorporated into a state-of-the-art sustainable development with 11 new buildings, wide roads, modern infrastructure, more open spaces and ‘highly visible’ commercial areas. Construction on the first phase of the project began in 2016, and was completed in 2019, rehabilitating 610 families and 128 businesses in two towers named ‘Al Sa’adah’.

During this transformation, the Trust is also providing transit accommodation or rent compensation to its residential and commercial tenants. Construction work on the second phase of the project began in 2021. Four towers are currently being developed which will house all the remaining residents and commercial establishments that are part of the upliftment project.

‘Makeover’ cost

The Bhendi Bazar makeover is taking place at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore. The makeover would be done in two phases. While the first phase of the project was completed in 2019 wherein 610 families and 128 businesses were moved back as owners in their new premises, the construction on phase two began in January 2021.

“Work was underway in full swing until the notice,”said an SBUT official.

Reason behind ‘stop work’ notice

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on August 24, Deputy CM Fadnavis said that the irregularities in the urban renewal project will be probed and had alleged that the original plan was changed, the width of roads reduced and more area was given to developers.

On Saturday, BMC issued a stop work notice for the project stating that residents of the project had raised issues.

According to the SBUT, all construction work on the site has been stopped.

“The project has already improved the living standards of over 610 families and 128 business Establishments owing to completion of the first phase of the project. We stay fully committed to delivering on the aspirations of the remaining tenants as well, by relocating them back to their new premises at the earliest,”a statement from SBUT said. It was promised to cooperate with government authorities for any review of the project they plan to undertake.