Bharat Nagar Cleared: Supreme Court Greenlights Redevelopment

The Supreme Court has cleared the path for the redevelopment of the Bharat Nagar slum in Bandra, Mumbai, by dismissing an appeal from residents attempting to halt the project. The court ruled that the appellants were ineligible slum dwellers and were employing "dilatory tactics" to delay the process.

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) had surveyed 2,965 slum structures in Bharat Nagar, identifying 2,625 as eligible for rehabilitation. Over 70% of residents had already consented to the redevelopment.

Saarathi Realtors played a key role in securing the Supreme Court’s order, which now enables the project to move forward. "From the beginning, we were entrusted by Forum Homes to manage Bharat Ekta Cooperative Society’s redevelopment, ensuring a smooth transition for slum evacuation and rehabilitation," said Rajiv Agrawal, Co-Founder of Saarathi Realtors.

Bharat Nagar spans 44 acres and includes 7,200–7,700 tenements, comprising approximately 3,700 MHADA tenants and 3,500–4,000 Photo Pass tenants. The redevelopment is being handled by multiple developers, including Omkar, Budhpur Adani, Forum Homes, and HDIL.

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and KV Chandran upheld the Bombay High Court’s January 4, 2023, ruling, which rejected challenges to the SRA’s eviction notice. The appellants had argued that the land fell under a MHADA layout and should be redeveloped under Regulation 33(5) of the Development Control Regulations (DCR) rather than the slum redevelopment Regulation 33(10). However, the Apex Grievance Redressal Committee had dismissed these claims in 2019, stating that MHADA had never designated the plot as part of its layout.

Ajit Pawar, Co-Founder of Saarathi Realtors, alleged that some slum dwellers attempted to disrupt the process and pressure developers. In response, Saarathi Realtors assembled a legal team to counter these objections and present the case before the Supreme Court.

The redevelopment project, sanctioned in 2010, involves merging three plots. While Phase I has been completed, Phase II was stalled due to resident resistance. With the Supreme Court’s approval, the project is now set to move forward.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.