Few Bhiwandi Illegal Builds Cleared Under MMRDA Scheme

04 Jul 2025 CW Team

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s drive to legalise unauthorised buildings in the Bhiwandi Surrounding Notified Area (BSNA) has drawn hundreds of applications yet yielded scant approvals. Launched in March 2022, the policy seeks to curb litigation and raise funds for major infrastructure works by permitting offenders to regularise properties in return for hefty penalties set at 20 per cent to 100 per cent of the base premium rate.

Regularisation route

Applications received: 331
Approved: 33
Rejected: 113
Pending (with deficiencies): 185

Most rejections arose from zone mismatches with the sanctioned BSNA development plan and incomplete documentation.

Compounding route

Applications received: 194
Approved: 0
Rejected: 174
Pending (with deficiencies): 20

Not a single compounding application has cleared scrutiny, underscoring the stricter compliance bar for such cases, officials said.

How penalties are set

Charges are calculated on 25 per cent of the base premium outlined in the government’s ready reckoner for the approval year. Violations fall into four bands:

20 per cent: Work beyond the Commencement Certificate but within sanctioned plans.
40 per cent: Similar work carried out after a stop work notice.
70 per cent: Unapproved construction inside the plot’s permissible potential, including setback areas.
100 per cent: Work regularised via Transfer of Development Rights, plot amalgamation or extra Floor Space Index.

Lesser infringements such as change of use or interior alterations still attract sizeable fines.

An MMRDA official described the scheme as a pragmatic way to fold widespread infringements into the legal system while ensuring owners help pay for the region’s infrastructure ambitions.

Equipment

11 Dec 2025

Caterpillar Debuts Three New Cat Excavators at EXCON 2025

Caterpillar Inc., a global leader in construction and mining machinery, strengthened its commitment to India’s infrastructure growth with the debut of three new Cat® hydraulic excavators at EXCON 2025, held from December 9–13 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. The new models—Cat 321, Cat 322 and Cat 324—mark a significant step forward in delivering efficient, digital-ready equipment tailored for India’s evolving construction needs.Designed to support sustainability and productivity on modern jobsites, the machines feature advanced powertrains and intelligent electrohy..

JK Tyre Expands OTR Lineup with Four New Launches at EXCON 2025

JK Tyre & Industries, one of India’s leading tyre manufacturers, introduced four new Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres at the 13th edition of CII EXCON 2025, South Asia’s largest construction equipment exhibition, underway at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. The latest additions strengthen the company’s OTR portfolio and reaffirm its focus on delivering advanced mobility solutions for construction, mining and industrial operations.The new tyres were unveiled by R Mukhopadhyay, Director (R&D), JK Tyre. Among the highlights was the debut of the SKY GRIP, a specialised tyre des..

ACE, Sanghvi Movers Ink MOU to Boost India-Made Heavy Crane Adoption

Action Construction Equipment (ACE), the world’s largest pick-and-carry crane manufacturer and a leading Indian construction equipment maker, has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Sanghvi Movers, Asia’s largest and the world’s fifth-largest crane rental company. The partnership aims to accelerate the deployment of indigenously manufactured heavy slew cranes, particularly truck cranes and crawler cranes, across large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects in India.The alliance aligns strongly with the Government of India’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “M..