BDD chawls to go for redevelopment

The 18,000 tenets of the Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chwals in Mumbai will soon have a new lifestyle as it will be redeveloped. A new section 33(9) B will be introduced in the Development Control Regulations exclusively for redevelopment of these chawals. They are located in Mumbai at Worli, Naigaum, NM Joshi Marg and Sewri.    Section 33(9) B allows for the scheme to be implemented in phases with pro rata utilisation of the total admissible FSI for the rehab and sale component. The scheme requires an environment impact assessment to be done before its implementation. The Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (MHADA), which has been appointed as the nodal agency, will execute the project through contractors.   The tenants of the chwal will be entitled to a free ownership 500 sq ft carpet flat, which is inclusive of fungible FSI. The non-residential structures and religious structures in the area will be the same as the existing carpet area or as decided by the government. The Sewri site will be redeveloped by the Mumbai Port Trust, which owns the land. Reports informed that a copy of the draft notification will be provided to MbPT to carry out the redevelopment. The new section was prompted by the fact that the tolerated structures in the BDD campus are not contiguous and so cannot be classified as slums. There will be no affordable segment in the sale component. It will be entirely middle and high income group.    Chawls will be redeveloped under the cluster redevelopment scheme – one cluster will be of four chawls. The FSI is four on the gross plot area as in the urban renewal scheme or a total sum of the rehab FSI and free sale FSI, whichever is higher. The latter incentive is allowed in the redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings. All the four sites, 50 per cent of the area is open and unencumbered, so the FSI required will not be more than 4.3.