Twitter
Advertisement

The inception: How a people's movement changed the idea of redevelopment in Mumbai

Nagari Nivara Parishad is regarded as Mumbai's first self redevelopment project. It took almost two decades to get the first home ready.

Latest News
article-main
One of the Nagari Nivara Parishad buildings; (Right) Adikrao Pavne, a bus conductor, who now stays in a well-furnished home in Dindoshi
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

In the year 1980, Mrunal Gore, a leading socialist, unwittingly laid the foundation stone of self revelopment in the city. She was demanding land so that people from middle and lower middle class families in the city can get a decent accommodation. That is how Nagari Nivara Parishad started. Anyone could become a member of the group by paying a nominal fees of Rs 5. Today, more than 5,000 families have benefited from this and it also facilitated the construction of hundreds of buildings in Goregaon's Dindoshi area.

Nagari Nivara Parishad is regarded as Mumbai's first self redevelopment project. It took almost two decades to get the first home ready.

According to Balkrushna Haldankar, one of the founding members of the parishad, all of it started in 1980, when Gore, who is fondly referred to as Mrunal Tai (sister) started a movement for better implementation of the central government's Urban Land Ceiling Act.

"Mrunal tai requested the government to implement the ULC properly, so that land can be allotted to those classes, who cannot afford good homes," said Haldankar.

Her idea was lauded by many, and very soon, more than 5,500 people came together and became members of the parishad. Haldnakar says that they met the then chief minister Vasantdada Patil, and even gave him a cheque of Rs 55 lakh for getting the land, but Patil refused to accept it and gave the proposal a go ahead.

"The money was collected from all the members; they were asked to maintain Rs 10,000 and more as balance in their independent accounts. Patil, however, was gone soon. Several leaders then came and went and finally during Shankrao Chavan's term we got a go ahead. The land, though, was not with us yet. We even fasted for 7-8 days in protest. We met the then president Gyani Jail Singh when he had come to Mumbai. He heard us put and told Chavan to implement the Act. We were finally allotted 62 acres of land in 1993, when Sharad Pawar was the CM," he said.

The construction began in 1995, after a contractor was found through an advertisement. The first plot was ready in 1999 and 1,000 new flats were erected. The construction still stands tall. Most of the residents come from middle class families and stay in 1 BHK apartments of 350 sq ft.

Ravi Kaningdhwaj came to stay in one of the buildings built by Parishad in early 2000's. He said, "My father is a member. Before this we stayed in a chawl in Jogeshwari, from there we moved to Dindoshi. We had full faith in the parishad. There were many who left the project midway considering the long gestation period. I am happy that we held on. The construction is so good, and the buildings are so well designed. We paid Rs 2.75 lakh each for the flats and we also pay a maintenance of Rs 800."

Adikrao Pavne became a member of the parishad in 1980. He, however, had left the project midway, only to rejoin in 1994. Today, he stays in a well-furnished apartment in Dindoshi. "I was a bus conductor, I had paid Rs 5 to become a member. But, as nothing productive was happening initialy, I had given up my membership. I used to stay in Dahisar then. After the 1993 riots, some members quit the parishad. This created a vacancy, and I applied once again and became a member. I am happy with the flat, its is good and well maintained."

Rajesh Khorjekar, who used to stay in Virar, bought the flat from another member. "I was not a member of the parishad. I bought the flat from one of the members. They had a ceiling against reselling for 10 years. When I bought it, the flat was still in very good condition."

After the success of the parishad, the members started another movement, but that failed to gather momentum. Haldankar claims the failure was a result of the vacuum created by the loss of Mrunal tai.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement