Mumbai: The 117-year-old Husseini Building was a part of Mumbai’s first cluster development project, implemented by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) on 16.5 acres in Bhendi Bazaar. When work began, SBUT started sending notices to tenants asking them to shift to the temporary transit camps in Anjirwadi and Ghodapdev in Mazgaon. In 2013 and 2014, seven families from the Husseini Building shifted to the transit camps, but the others stayed on.
The ground-plus-six building had 13 tenants: 12 residential and one commercial. “Soon after the cluster development project was finalised, notices were sent to the tenants to move out and opt for temporary rehabilitation,” an SBUT spokesperson said. He added that they started sending out notices in 2011. “MHADA has sent notices to the building twice in 2011 stating it was dilapidated.”
The SBUT cluster development covers 250 old residential buildings and 1,250 commercial set-ups. The highly congested area is home to 3,200 families. The ₹4,000-crore cluster development aims at rehabilitating these families and shopkeepers in 17 plush high rises. The project has been divided into clusters and phases. At present, work is being done on Phase One of the project, covering Clusters 1 and 3, and is expected to be completed by 2019.
“Husseini Building was a part of Cluster 8. However, we have given an option to residents to vacate before work on their cluster begins. This was mainly because all the buildings are very old and at risk,” the SBUT spokesperson said. According to him, 1,800 families have shifted out and 90 buildings have been demolished in the past five years.
A relative of a Husseini Building resident said the interiors of most houses were well done-up. “They thought they will stay on for as long as possible as the area was familiar,” he said.
However, transit accommodations are not always in the most preferred locations. “As redevelopment was yet to begin, they decided to stay on for some more time.”
MHADA blames SBUT
Samajwadi Party corporator Rais Shaikh said once the Intimation of Disapproval (IoD) certificate is handed over for any project, the developer is responsible for the buildings. “In this case, the developer is SBUT. However, they received red-carpet treatment from the BJP government. To them, MHADA is just another body without authority,” said Mr. Shaikh, adding the developer should answer for the delay in vacating tenants. A local resident said many were unhappy with the location of the transit accommodation. They also alleged that MHADA had stopped repairs because SBUT had taken over the project.
