Residents of nearly 640 old, creaky buildings which are unsafe for habitation across the city will benefit because of a new state policy to encourage the redevelopment of such structures, incentivising developers as well as tenants.

The BJP-led state government unveiled a draft of this policy in January before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election. After hearing suggestions and objections, the government issued a final notification for the policy on September 8 soon after the collapse of one such decrepit building in Bhendi Bazaar in which more than 30 people lost their lives.

Developers taking up the redevelopment of dilapidated buildings across the city will now get an incentive Floor Space Index (FSI) of 50 percent over and above that required to rehabilitate existing tenants. FSI is the ratio of the built-up area to the plot area, and indicates the extent of construction permissible on a site. 

The caveat for the redevelopment is that at least 70 percent tenants should have given their consent for the project. 

The policy, which will only cover tenancies created till June 13,1996, makes it mandatory for developers to house tenants in the redeveloped building free of cost in dwellings with a minimum carpet area of 300 square feet to a maximum of 753 square feet.

“For any additional area, the tenant will have to pay the cost of construction as per the state’s ready reckoner rates. Also, we want to ensure that only buildings in need of urgent redevelopment avail of the benefits of this policy, so we have specifically said the policy will cover only tenant-occupied buildings that have been declared unsafe for human habitation or are to be demolished under a lawful order of the BMC,” an official from the state urban development department said.

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