Mumbai’s long-stalled Kamathipura redevelopment has inched closer to reality with fresh momentum after the housing authority received two formal bids, signalling renewed prospects for one of the city’s oldest and most densely inhabited neighbourhoods.
The Mumbai Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board (MBRRB), a wing of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), confirmed that it has received bids from two construction companies. Officials stated that technical evaluations will begin immediately, followed by the opening of financial bids. The proposals will subsequently be forwarded to the state government for approval. Alongside the bidding process, MBRRB has initiated a biometric survey of residents to verify the exact count of families and property occupants. The survey is a vital step, ensuring transparent allocation of housing units once redevelopment begins. Experts note that this shift towards data-driven assessment will help reduce disputes and accelerate rehabilitation once construction work starts.
Spread across 34 acres, Kamathipura is home to over 6,000 resident families and more than 1,300 non-resident occupants. Its 475 cessed buildings and numerous non-cessed and collapsed structures have long posed a safety concern. Many of these century-old buildings have been uninhabitable since the 1990s, underscoring the urgency of large-scale renewal. The redevelopment blueprint envisions a modern urban village with integrated residential, commercial, and community infrastructure. More than 8,000 residents will be rehabilitated under the cluster redevelopment scheme. Resident families are to receive 500 sq ft homes, while non-resident families will be allotted smaller tenements of 225 sq ft. The scale of construction is significant, with rehabilitated towers rising up to 57 floors and sale towers planned to reach 78 floors.
Landowners too will be compensated based on plot size, with incremental allotments ranging from one to three 500 sq ft units, depending on landholding. This approach, officials say, balances equity with economic viability. Experts view the project as a crucial transition from piecemeal, building-wise redevelopment to a holistic, cluster-based approach aligned with Mumbai’s Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034. The model aims not just to provide safe housing but to redefine Kamathipura’s identity by introducing green spaces, better sanitation, improved access roads, and sustainable community amenities.
Urban planners emphasise that the redevelopment has the potential to be a case study in heritage-sensitive urban transformation. The neighbourhood, once synonymous with congested lanes and dilapidated tenements, is being reimagined as a sustainable hub combining affordable housing with modern infrastructure. Officials confirmed that once the state clears the financial bids, construction could begin without further delay. For thousands of families awaiting safe homes for decades, the revival of the project signals hope that Kamathipura may finally undergo the long-promised transformation into a modern, inclusive, and sustainable living space.
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