Mumbai: Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), looking after the Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawls redevelopment project, said it will start the NM Joshi Marg project by next month. Shapoorji Pallonji has been selected to construct 14 buildings which will rehabilitate 2,560 families. A MHADA official said, “Shapoorji Paloomji has been selected for this redevelopment.” The BDD chawls are situated at Worli, NM Joshi Marg, Naigaon, and Sewri.

A senior MHADA official told the Free Press Journal, the NM Joshi project will begin in a month’s time. A cluster of 22 storeyed buildings will be constructed. “The project has been divided into three phases to complete the project smoothly. In the first phase, seven chawls comprising 560 tenants will be given houses,” said the official. Right now, there are 32 chawls on this particular piece of land and 2,560 tenements will be created for them. The authority has awarded a contract of Rs 2,400 crore for this project work.

The BDD chawls redevelopment project will prove to be a great asset for the beneficiaries claimed the official. Currently, these 100-year old structures are crumbling and the tenants living in cramped 160 square feet rooms, risking their lives. Once the apartments are completed, each would get 500 sq ft area flats with more room and in-built toilets.

“Right now in BDD, they only have a common toilet facility on each floor. In the new project they will get amenities like parking, separate toilets, recreational ground and more, without any payment, which is a great deal. Moreover, this project gives an assurance that it will be completed unlike the other redevelopment projects which are delayed or left incomplete,” he stated.

Along with executing the BDD chawls redevelopment project of NM Joshi Marg, the authority will also undertake redevelopment work of Worli, Naigaon and Sewri. For Naigoan BDD chawls redevelopment project a total of 20 buildings will be constructed to accommodate 3,344 tenants. The project will be executed at the cost of Rs 2,500 crore by Larson and Turbo company.

Similarly, the Worli redevelopment project will be carried out by Tata Housing and a total of 87 buildings will be constructed to accommodate 9,680 tenants. MHADA official said, “The Worli redevelopment project is waiting for clearance from the forest authority and Naigoan project will start soon.”  In fact, nearly 3,000 police families reside in the BDD chawls at NM Joshi Marg, Worli and Naigoan. The project will create new houses which will be returned to the state home department.