Bombay HC reserves order on PIL alleging haphazard manner of BDD chawl redevelopment in central Mumbai

The Bombay High Court reserved its order on a public interest litigation filed by two persons against what they claimed was the haphazard manner in which the redevelopment of BDD chawls in central Mumbai is proposed.

According to a report of PTI, the petition filed by city residents Shirish Patel and Sulakshana Mahajan claimed the manner in which the redevelopment is proposed would jeopardize the health, well-being and right to life of people in the metropolis.

Senior counsel Aspi Chinoy, appearing for the petitioners, on Monday told a division bench of Acting Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice S G Chapalgaonkar that the redevelopment of the BDD chawl is just going to be like modern slums.

The developers have clustered all the tenants in 11 buildings without any space in between each building...so that they can construct a 70-storey building for sale, Chinoy said. He alleged double standards are being applied towards poor people and those who are well off.

Advocate Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for state-run MHADA and the Maharashtra government, refuted the allegations and said none of the around 16,000 original tenants have till date raised any grievance on the redevelopment.

There are 206 BDD chawls, spread across 92 acres, comprising 120 in Worli, 32 along NM Joshi Marg, 42 in Naigaon and 12 in Sewri.