MHADA Mumbai board chief inspects SBUT cluster project

MHADA Mumbai Board chairman Vinod Ghosalkar Saturday met tenants and functionaries of the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust, which is undertaking the metropolis' largest cluster redevelopment project.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of the July 16 building collapse in Dongri area of south Mumbai, in which 13 people were killed.

The SBUT's cluster redevelopment project is spread over 16.5 acres and impacts some 20,000 people in congested Bhendi Bazaar area, not far from the site of the building collapse.

SBUT executives apprised Ghosalkar about some hurdles, prime among them being adamant tenants refusing to vacate old and dilapidated buildings.

An SBUT functionary put the number of such tenants at 300 out of a total of 3200, adding that their stand was coming in the way of redevelopment and timely completion of the project.

He added that SBUT had acquired 250 of the 272 buildings that will be redeveloped as part of the cluster project.

"It is unfortunate that a handful of tenants are blocking redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings, which can prove fatal some day. Their problems may be genuine in some cases, but they should not stall the redevelopment process. I will meet them and try to solve their problems," Ghosalkar told PTI.

He said the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority had now decided to evict such tenants forcefully if they block redevelopment on personal and whimsical grounds.

He expressed satisfaction at SBUT's progress in the cluster project.

Ghosalkar said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that an ordinance would be brought to speed up redevelopment, compulsorily if the situation so warrants.

"We don't want a repeat of the Dongri building collapse. We urge tenants to support the redevelopment project. If required, the government will exercise forceful eviction of people from such life-threatening structures," he said.

Post the Dongri building collapse, housing department officials are meeting residents of vulnerable buildings, especially in congested B and C civic wards, to activate the process of redevelopment.