MUMBAI, OCT 3: After the controversial decision to use private builders to redevelop the BDD Chawls in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government now plans to redevelop the city's transit camps with private participation.Accordingly, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and its Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board (MBRRB) will hire private builders to redevelop MHADA's transit camps at Colaba, Bandra Reclamation, Oshiwara and Jogeshwari (E) following a decision taken by the state government, according to sources.Besides redeveloping the camps, MHADA also plans to sell the additional Floor Space Index (FSI) in the open market instead of diverting it to the state-owned Shivshahi Punarvasan Prakalp Limited, which is executing the government's Slum Redevelopment Scheme (SRD).The transit camps, situated at 43 sites in Mumbai, are meant to house tenants of MHADA's dilapidated buildings, which are being reconstructed by the MBRRB. They are also used totemporarily house slum-dwellers for whom free tenements are being constructed under the SRD.According to MHADA's plan, 688 transit tenements at Colaba, 400 at Bandra, 864 at Oshiwara and 2,688 at Jogeshwari will be redeveloped by private builders and tenders will be floated in a couple of months. Pending completion of their tenements, occupants of these transit camps will be housed in other transit camps constructed by MHADA in the city. The camps, which were constructed about 20 years ago, comprise ground-plus-one storey structures. Each tenement, which measures 160 sq ft, will now be converted into ground-plus-seven storey structures. Some will also comprise 14 storeys. The additional FSI expected to be available after the redevelopment varies from 1.33 to 2.5, which will be sold in the open market. Architect Charles Correa has been appointed to advise MHADA on structural design. Legal advice will also be sought as some of the transit tenements at Colaba fall under the Coastal Regulation Zone, whereconstruction is prohibited. Confirming the plan, MHADA President Vilas Avchat told Express Newsline: ``MHADA and the government have decided to redevelop the transit camps on an experimental basis. If it turns out to be a success, the remaining camps will also be redeveloped.''
