South Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment project completes the first phase

MUMBAI: Bhendi Bazaar, India’s largest-ever urban renewal project Project in South Mumbai, is over the first phase of the total development that involves over 20,000 people across 250 dilapidated buildings.

In the first phase, the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust, which has undertaken the project on a non-profit basis, has finished two high-rise super-structures with over 610 residences and 128 commercial outlets. It has been rehabilitated in the last few months before lifting the lockdown by the state government.

It is the first large redevelopment projects being executed under the state government’s cluster redevelopment policy announced that has announced back in 2009.

The spokesperson of the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust said “Residents had started to shift to the new premises a few months ago. However, the shifting process was put on hold given the announcement of lockdown following the Covid19 outbreak and was resumed once the regulations were relaxed.”

The construction work of both–36 storey and 41 storey– towers had started in the year 2016. The work has been completed in 45 months.

He further said “As per our aim to complete the entire project simultaneously and bring the people of Bhendi Bazaar back to their new homes and shops at the earliest. Work in other sectors is also progressing well. We plan to complete the entire next phase of the project by 2025.”

The project will decongest important parts of south Mumbai with wider roads and better infrastructure around Mohammed Ali Road, Pydhonie, and Nagpada that are characterized by narrow lanes and high traffic during most parts of the day.

Above 80% of the buildings are old, worn-out, and have been announced dilapidated unfit for living by the Maharashtra state housing body, MHADA. A few of them are buildings and chawls, they are approximately 150 years old. It usually experiences accidents during the monsoon.

Qutub Mandviwala, master planner and architect of the project said “Being India’s largest cluster redevelopment project till date, the project offers hopes of a better life for millions living in awful conditions and provides a blueprint for other future urban renewal projects across the country”.

The reconstruction work possesses 16.5 acres of land with more than 250 decrepit buildings, 3,200 families, and 1,250 shops. Most of them are incorporated into a sustainable development with 12 new buildings, wide roads, modern infrastructure, more open spaces, and highly visible commercial areas.

More than 90% of the residents were living as tenants for a long time in old Bhendi Bazaar with no ownership rights and with the completion of the first phase. These 610 tenants now have flats on ownership.