5.7] B.D.D chawl redevelopment project, N.M. Joshi Marg

5.7] B.D.D. Chawl redevelopment project, N.M. Joshi marg, Mumbai

Figure 70) – Old B.D.D chawl building

BDD is “Bombay Development Department”. BDD was established in 1920 and was responsible for providing more land for housing and constructing for 50,000 tenements on reclaimed lands. As of 2016, total 195 BDD Chawls located at Worli, Naigaon and N M Joshi (Parel) cover an area of 86.98 acres. These chawls had a large verandah as well as a big ground where children could play. In the night, adults would take a stroll in the compound, which also served as a meeting point for the residents. In these chawls, various festivals like Ganpati, Dahi Handi and Diwali were celebrated with enthusiasm. In case of weddings and functions, as people could not afford halls, a pandal used to be erected at the ground and the whole function used to take place there.

Figure 71) – Exterior 3D view of the proposed tower

In 2018 the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that families of the police personnel living in BDD chawls will be given houses constructed by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). The families will be given redeveloped houses at the location they are currently residing at. The redeveloped houses will be of 500 sq. ft.

Yielding more than 3,000 additional houses for sale, the redevelopment of these chawls will lead to the creation of one of the largest stocks of low-cost housing in the space-starved island city, besides the units required for rehabilitating existing eligible occupants.

Figure 72) – Master plan of the design proposal

The redevelopment of the chawls at NM Joshi Marg will yield four sale buildings of 47 floors each – two for higher-income groups and two for middle-income groups. There will also be a 14-storey commercial tower. Besides, 14 buildings of 22 floors each will be built to house existing tenants. The work will involve not just redeveloping the chawls and rehabilitating existing tenants, it also involves creation of on-site and off-site infrastructure such as roads, open spaces, landscaping and so on.

Figure 74) – 3D view of the individual unit