Major Housing Milestone: MHADA Under IAS Sanjeev Jaiswal Distributes 864 Flats In Naigaon BDD Project

In a major step toward transforming old housing clusters in Mumbai, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) handed over 864 newly built rehabilitation flats to eligible residents under the Naigaon BDD Chawl Redevelopment Project on March 16.

The redevelopment initiative is being carried out under the administrative leadership of Sanjeev Jaiswal, Vice President and CEO of MHADA, as part of the authority’s large-scale effort to upgrade aging housing infrastructure in the city.

The keys to the new homes were distributed by Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, marking an important milestone in the redevelopment of the historic Bombay Development Directorate Chawls.

A Major Housing Transformation

The 864 flats handed over are part of the first phase of the Naigaon BDD redevelopment, which aims to replace decades-old chawls with modern residential towers.

Overall, the project is expected to rehabilitate around 15,000 families by 2029, many of whom have been living in 160 sq ft chawl rooms for generations.

Under the redevelopment plan, eligible tenants will receive 500 sq ft 2BHK apartments, significantly improving their living conditions and providing access to better infrastructure.

Historic BDD Chawls Being Rebuilt

The BDD Chawls were originally constructed in the 1920s by the British to provide affordable housing in Mumbai. Today, more than 200 chawls spread across 37 hectares form part of these historic housing clusters.

These chawls are located in four main areas:

• Worli – about 22.14 hectares
• NM Joshi Marg – about 5.46 hectares
• Naigaon – about 6.45 hectares
• Sewri – about 2.32 hectares

However, the Sewri land falls under the central government and is not part of the Maharashtra government’s redevelopment programme.

Redevelopment Details In Naigaon

In Naigaon, around 3,344 tenants currently live across 42 chawls, each consisting of ground-plus-three-storey structures built several decades ago.

The redevelopment plan includes the construction of 20 rehabilitation towers of 23 storeys each, which will be implemented in two phases.

During the first phase, 1,401 residents from Plot ‘B’ are being rehabilitated. As part of this phase, 864 flats across five of the eight rehabilitation towers were handed over to residents.

The redeveloped complex has been named the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar BDD Complex.

Modern Amenities In The New Towers

The newly built apartments are equipped with several modern amenities designed to improve the quality of life for residents.

According to MHADA, the buildings include:

• Vitrified flooring
• Aluminium-framed windows
• Granite kitchen countertops
• Branded plumbing fixtures
• Fire-fighting systems
• CCTV surveillance on every floor

The towers are also constructed using earthquake-resistant technology and feature two passenger lifts and one fire lift for safety.

Additionally, the complex includes three-level basement parking, stilt areas, and wider staircases, ensuring better infrastructure than the older chawl buildings.

Larger Vision For Housing Redevelopment

Under the leadership of IAS Sanjeev Jaiswal, MHADA has been actively pushing major redevelopment projects aimed at transforming outdated housing into modern residential communities.

Speaking at the event, Devendra Fadnavis highlighted that around 1,000 acres of land in Mumbai have been opened up for cluster redevelopment, helping ensure that residents affected by redevelopment projects can continue to live within the city.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who also holds the housing portfolio, stated that MHADA will maintain the buildings for the next 12 years, ensuring proper upkeep of the newly developed housing complexes.

With thousands more families expected to benefit in the coming years, the Naigaon BDD Chawl redevelopment project represents one of the most ambitious housing transformation initiatives currently underway in Mumbai.