Corona impact: Many BDD tenants ready for transit

Corona virus that has led to a pandemic has changed the minds of many tenants of BDD chawl in Lower Parel. Some had already shifted to a transit camp nearby, many who stayed back want to move soon.

By Varun Singh

Corona virus has caused a lot of damage, apart from deaths, it has even delayed several infrastructure projects.

BDD chawl redevelopment is one of the biggest projects undertaken by MHADA. While contracts have been awarded for all the three BDD chawls. There are some tenants who were reluctant to shift to the transit camps.

However, Corona has changed the minds of many of those tenants who earlier were reluctant. The biggest reason is the common toilet and smaller apartments.

BDD chawls are close to 100 years old and crowded inside. They share common toilet, on a floor with 20 apartments, there are six toilets for all.

The current apartment sizes are 160 sq ft and too small, to reside. Once redeveloped the tenants of these chawls will be eligible for 500 sq ft apartment. Not only this, the 2BHK apartments will have two toilets and two bathrooms.

Krishnkanth Nalge, chairman of one of the BDD chawl committee confirmed this.

According to Nalge, the Corona scare has made many tenants still residing at BDD chawl in N M Joshi Marg wanting to shift to transit camps.

“Some families shifted to transit camp, here we have a toilet and bathroom inside the apartments. But back at BDD there are common toilets. With Corona many tenants are scared that using common toilets will increase the spread and have been calling me expressing desire to shift to transit accommodation,” he said.

BDD chawls once housed maximum of mill workers and their families. Today the generation has shifted to do other kind of works. With closure of many mills in Mumbai, hardly one can find an active mill worker residing here.

A senior MHADA official looking into redevelopment said, “Common toilet and 160 sq. ft. carpet area room occupied by too many people causing health issues during this Corona pandemic.”

According to the official, many tenants are seeing that people who have shifted to transit buildings are feeling safe and want to feel the same. The official says they are receiving several calls from tenants to shift them to transit accommodation.

However, shifting during Corona time is difficult. Nalge says, “Because of the ongoing pandemic, the offices aren’t fully operational, Even those who would help shifting with household goods aren’t available.”

However, once things settle down to certain extent, the process of shifting willing tenants to transit camps may begin.

BDD chawls were built by the Bombay Block Directorate (BDD). There are a total of 195 BDD chawls spread across Lower Parel, Naigaon and Worli.

BDD chawls occupy over 92 acre of prime land in Central Mumbai. There are total of 15,593 tenants, most from the working middle class.

Locations:

N M Joshi Marg, Lower Parel