Bombay high court paves way for dhobi ghat redevelopment

The Bombay high court on Wednesday cleared the decks for the redevelopment of a dhobi ghat at Kalewadi in Parel by dismissing a petition filed by 19 washermen who had challenged the redevelopment on the grounds that they were getting a smaller place in exchange.

Vacation judge justice Mridula Bhatkar was hearing their petition challenging the eviction action initiated by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) against them on April 29, 2011.

Earlier, the city civil court had rejected their plea. “Petitioners cannot blow hot and cold at the same time and stall the redevelopment,” said justice Bhatkar. “No case is made out by the petitioner for relief,” she observed while dismissing the petition. She stayed her order till May 18, 2011, to allow them to appeal against it.

According to their petition, Avarsekar & Sons Private Limited was given a no-objection certificate in May 2010 for the redevelopment of approximately 10,000 sq ft area of the dhobi ghat comprising washing and drying areas.

Washermen’s advocate Rajesh Singh argued that washing clothes was their ancestral vocation and they have been using the place for the last 60-70 years.

The developer’s advocate Sanjay Kadam said that 14 of the 19 petitioners have already signed the agreement and moving court was “just a delaying tactic to stall the project”. Kadam said there are a total of 453 occupants at the dhobi ghat, and 83% of them have given their consent to the redevelopment.