Govt outlines plan for rejigging old colonies

State to adopt cluster-based approach.

The state government wants to adopt cluster-based approach for redevelopment of old housing colonies in Mumbai, instead of plot-based development as part of the planned development of the city.

Speaking with Business Standard, secretary (special project), Sanjeev Ubale said, "As a pilot project we have chosen Sahkarnagar area in Chembur where currently 400 families are living. They will develop their own locality, get new houses and get profited from it too".

Elaborating on the concept, he said, "In the sixties and seventies, MHADA constructed many buildings in suburbs like Bandra, Chembur, Vile-Parle, Goregaon, etc. with the aim of providing housing stock to the middle-class at affordable prices.

In many cases, the government allotted plots to people working in one organisation or from one community who came together and formed their housing societies."

Those buildings were constructed with one floor space index (FSI).

After relaxation of FSI rules providing for up to 2.5 FSI in city suburbs, growing space crunch and constantly increasing real estate, builders and developers hit the gold mine from these 30-40 year old buildings.

They have started approaching the office-bearers of these co-operative housing societies with lucrative offers in terms of cash, bigger flats etc If the builder is given the right to redevelop the property.

Thus taller buildings with more residents and commercial establishments are springing up all over the city putting pressure on civic infrastructure such as roads, water supply and drainage, Ubale pointed out.

"This is why we have decided to promote cluster-based housing in redevelopment of old buildings. Instead of one building being redeveloped, residents of 10 or 15 buildings will come together and develop their locality," said Ubale.

"This will allow for gardens, playgrounds, bus stops, wider roads or relaying of water and drainage lines. Instead of allowing builders to mint money from redevelopment of old houses, the state wants the original residents of the locality to benefit from the surge in property prices and sell off whatever extra space they have," he added.

"We are looking at the Sahkarnagar experiment to act as a model for all other such future developments. This will help us to formulate guidelines. We are also taking the help of World Bank planners in preparing the policy in this regard," he said.

As Sahkarnagar is the first case, the state government is asking MHADA architects to work out the plan in consultation with local citizens and rope in reputed companies like L&T as contractors to execute civil work.

"We are also in talks with financial institutions like HDFC and ICICI for financing the project," he said.