CM to lay foundation for BDD chawls development tomorrow

About 16,000 residents of Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawls will finally get their own 500-square feet flats as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lays foundation for the Rs 16,000cr-Rs 17,000 crore redevelopment project on Saturday.

Maharashtra Minister for Housing Development Prakash Mehta would preside over the function which would be held at Jambori Ground in Worli.

The construction work for the Naigaon and N M Joshi Marg BDD chawls would be completed in seven years.

Maharashtra Minister of State for Housing Development Ravindra Waikar said that the redevelopment project will benefit 15,683 residents of BDD chawls. Waikar said a pre-bid meeting for redevelopment of Worli chawls was held on Wednesday.

The chawls are spread over an area of 92 acres. The redevelopment would not only ensure flats for chawl residents but also provide additional area for affordable housing. The Mhada is working as the nodal agency for the project.

The areas adjacent to the now-closed textile mills is generally referred to as Girangaon. The BDD chawls were built about a century ago to settle the textile mill workers. It was in 1923 that the chawls were handed over to residents. After the British rule came to an end, the Public Works Department was vested with the responsibility of maintaining these chawls. There are 207 chawls in Sewri, NM Joshi Marg, Worli and Naigaon.