The Maharashtra government has finally stepped in with a plan to address the concerns of residents near the old Elphinstone Bridge, which is set to be rebuilt. At a high-level meeting in Malabar Hill on Monday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a cluster redevelopment proposal for 19 affected buildings. But the move has created just as much confusion as it has relief.
Two buildings, Haji Noorani and Laxmi Niwas, are facing immediate demolition due to the reconstruction work. The government wants to shift residents to temporary accommodation in Kurla. But the people living there are not ready to move.
“We live our lives here, our kids go to school nearby, we work nearby, shifting to Kurla is not an option,” said a resident of Haji Noorani.
This project comes under Section 33(9) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations, which allows for cluster redevelopment. It means multiple old buildings can be redeveloped together at the same location. While many residents have been demanding this kind of solution for years, there’s still a lot of doubt.
“If the redevelopment really finishes in a year and a half, then fine,” said a shopkeeper. “But most of the time, these projects go on forever. We don’t want our grandchildren still waiting for homes.”
Plenty of questions, no clear answers yet
The meeting was called after MLA Ashish Shelar raised the issue. It was attended by senior officials from MMRDA, BMC, MHADA, MSRDC and the state government. But not everyone felt heard.
People are asking simple questions: What happens to the residents of the other 17 buildings? These buildings are more than 100 years old and at serious risk of damage once construction work on the bridge begins. Yet, there has been no clear plan shared about where those people will go or how they will be protected.
One of the more complicated issues is the impact of the nearby Worli-Sewri bridge project. Kamal Chheda, a resident of the historic Zaveri Building, pointed out that the new viaduct will run just 100 feet above their building. According to him, that would leave no space for proper redevelopment. “We’ll be trapped between the viaduct and the surrounding buildings. How can anyone rebuild in such a space?” he said.
Chheda also claimed that officials had earlier told residents the bridge would be built first, over a period of 16 to 18 months. Only then would the building redevelopment begin. “That could stretch the whole thing to over five years. Either both projects happen together or the government should pay us what our properties are worth at current market rates,” he said.
Residents say they won’t move without written promises
There is growing anger about why this redevelopment idea was not considered earlier, during the planning of the Worli-Sewri bridge. “Now everything is delayed, and we’re the ones stuck,” said Sriram Pawar from the Parel Residents Association.
People are also upset that their local MLA, Kalidas Kolambkar from Wadala, was not even included in the meeting. Many feel this shows how disconnected the process has been from those actually affected.
In the end, the residents came to one decision: Elphinstone bridge will not be closed for construction unless they receive firm, written assurances.
Responding to the backlash, officials from MMRDA confirmed that the whole project will now be reworked. The first step will be to relocate residents through cluster redevelopment as per the new government directive. Only after that can bridge construction move ahead.
As of now, Mumbai’s traffic department says the bridge will remain open until MMRDA gives them the official go-ahead to shut it.
