For one of Mumbai’s largest urban redevelopment initiatives, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) will distribute 864 newly constructed rehabilitation flats to eligible residents under the BDD Chawl Redevelopment Project at Naigaon. The keys will be formally handed over by Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, during a ceremony scheduled for March 16 at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Mumbai. The redevelopment project, being implemented by MHADA through its Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board, aims to modernise ageing residential clusters across the city and improve living conditions for thousands of families residing in historic chawls.
The Naigaon redevelopment component has been named “Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar BDD Sankul”, honouring the legacy of B. R. Ambedkar while reflecting the state government’s commitment to upgrading housing infrastructure. The first phase of the project focuses on Plot ‘B’ at Naigaon, where residents are being rehabilitated in newly constructed high-rise buildings. Out of the 864 flats being distributed in the initial phase, 423 units have been reserved for retired police personnel, serving officers, and their eligible heirs, acknowledging their contribution to maintaining public safety in the city. The initiative is expected to significantly improve the living conditions of families that have lived for generations in the old BDD chawl structures.
Currently, the project area consists of 42 three-storey chawls spread across 6.45 hectares, accommodating 3,344 tenants. Built during the British era, these chawls have housed generations of residents in cramped living spaces. Under the redevelopment plan, the area will be transformed into a modern residential complex comprising 20 rehabilitation towers of 23 storeys each, to be constructed in two phases. In the first phase, 1,401 residents are being rehabilitated, with 864 completed flats across five towers being handed over initially, while construction of the remaining 537 units is expected to be completed by April 2026.
The redevelopment project marks a major improvement in housing standards for chawl residents, who previously lived in 160 square feet rooms. Under the new scheme, they will receive 500 square feet carpet-area 2BHK apartments free of cost. The new homes are equipped with modern amenities such as vitrified flooring tiles, aluminium-framed windows, granite kitchen platforms, branded plumbing fixtures and integrated fire safety systems, significantly enhancing the quality of life for residents.
The newly constructed towers have been designed with modern safety and infrastructure features, including earthquake-resistant construction, two passenger lifts and one fire lift, CCTV surveillance on every floor, basement parking facilities and wider staircases for emergency evacuation. Authorities also plan to develop the Naigaon complex as a self-contained residential township with facilities such as a school building, welfare and community centres, sewage treatment systems, solar energy infrastructure and rainwater harvesting facilities, creating a sustainable and community-oriented living environment.
MHADA will also maintain the common facilities in the rehabilitated buildings for twelve years, ensuring proper upkeep and management during the initial years of occupancy. The Naigaon project forms part of the larger BDD Chawl Redevelopment Programme, one of Mumbai’s most ambitious urban transformation initiatives. The broader project covers 195 chawls spread across nearly 86 acres in Mumbai and aims to rehabilitate 15,593 residents into modern housing complexes, a move urban planners see as crucial for addressing the city’s housing challenges while preserving the historic social fabric of chawl communities.
