The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has stepped in to redevelop 388 old and dilapidated buildings in South Mumbai, a move which has been long awaited.

The redevelopment process had been stalled due to the small plot sizes of these buildings, making them commercially unviable for private developers, and the lack of consensus among housing societies. These buildings, located in areas like Colaba, Girgaon, Byculla, and Sewri, house around 27,373 families. Each building consists of 80-100 flats, typically small in size (100-200 sq ft). Many of these buildings, redeveloped by MHADA decades ago, are now in need of urgent repairs.

MHADA has agreed to redevelop these buildings in clusters, provided groups of housing societies come together. Eknath Rajapure, working president of the MHADA Sangharsh Kruti Samiti, welcomed the move, stating, “This decision will bring relief to thousands of residents in these societies.”