BDD Chawl Redevelopment in Worli Draws Young Tenants as Original Residents Navigate New High-Rise Lifestyle

The newly redeveloped BDD chawl towers in Worli have emerged as a sought-after rental destination for young professionals and students, while longtime residents adjust to their transformed neighbourhood. This marks a significant evolution for one of Mumbai's historically working-class localities, which is now experiencing a demographic and cultural shift driven by modern high-rise living.

Young Professionals Find Premium Living at Sea-Facing BDD Towers

A 25-year-old lecturer who recently moved to Mumbai from Pune for work revealed that she had not anticipated sharing views of the Arabian Sea with residents of the upscale Worli Seaface area. She had been searching for accommodation close to her Byculla workplace when she discovered an apartment in the redeveloped towers through a social media post. She moved into a 2BHK unit with three flatmates, collectively paying ₹72,000 per month in rent. The young professional highlighted that the location offered convenient metro access to both the airport and south Mumbai destinations, with numerous shops and cafés in the vicinity.

Original Residents Choose Rental Income Over Tower Living

A 72-year-old woman, who had resided in the old chawls for five decades, reportedly decided to lease her newly allotted flat in the E-Wing of the towers for ₹72,000 monthly. She subsequently relocated to a rented home in Jogeshwari to be closer to her children. Her relatives were quoted stating that the new apartments felt more isolated compared to the chawls, where doors remained open and neighbours were readily available for assistance.

From Historic Chawls to Contemporary High-Rises

The original chawls were built by the Bombay Development Department in the early 1920s and comprised three-storey structures spread across 93 acres in Naigaon, Sewri, Lower Parel, and Worli. Each floor typically housed 20 rooms measuring 160 square feet, along with a common gallery featuring six shared toilets.

In 2016, the state government appointed the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) to supervise the ₹16,000-crore redevelopment initiative. By 2018, tenders were issued for redeveloping 121 chawls in Worli, 42 in Naigaon, 32 in NM Joshi Marg, and 12 in Sewri. Displaced residents were temporarily housed in transit camps near Century Bazaar during the construction phase.

On August 14, when two of the 33 planned 40-storey towers were completed, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar distributed keys to 556 families, officially inaugurating the project's first phase.

A Contrasting Mix of Lifestyles in New Towers

Two months following occupancy, the newly inhabited D-Wing and E-Wing reflect diverse living arrangements. Some apartments feature traditional furniture and religious arrangements belonging to original chawl residents, while others, now rented by young professionals, showcase minimalistic interiors and rental appliances.

A 21-year-old postgraduate student from Bengaluru, enrolled at a nearby fashion institute, moved into a shared 2BHK flat for ₹70,000 monthly. She and her flatmate reportedly spent an additional ₹8,000 to rent furniture and appliances for six months. She described the apartment as "a dream," emphasizing the prime location and relative affordability compared to other areas in Mumbai's premium real estate zones.

Strong Rental Demand Among Young Professionals

According to a local broker operating in the area, at least 24 rental agreements had been facilitated in the past month within these towers, primarily to young professionals working in banking, finance, education, medicine, and law. He claimed that another 30 families had expressed interest in renting units.

Not all longtime residents have embraced the transition. A man in his late 40s, who operates a driving school and lived in the chawls throughout most of his life, stated that the new flats were too small for his extended family. He added that renting out the unit and distributing the income among family members was a more practical alternative to potential disputes over limited space.

Others welcomed the transformation. A woman in her mid-20s working at a private bank mentioned that the shift to modern housing had brought her family peace after years of uncertainty. While she still recognized a few neighbours from the chawl days, she noted that her father had shown interest in connecting with the new residents, many of whom were younger professionals.

Concerns Over Diminishing Community Spirit

Longtime residents have expressed concerns about the erosion of communal living. One elderly man, who moved into the chawls in the early 1990s, stated that the strong sense of unity that once characterized the neighbourhood had been replaced by individualism, with many doors now remaining permanently closed. Nevertheless, he expressed hope that shared areas such as the lobby could be utilized for communal celebrations in the future, and mentioned that discussions were ongoing to construct a temple, mosque, and church in nearby open spaces.

A civic representative from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's G-West ward confirmed that the towers represented only the initial phase of a multi-stage redevelopment project in Mumbai. He stated that all former residents would eventually be re-accommodated within the area, and places of worship for all communities were integrated into the redevelopment plan.

A senior member of a local tenants' association commented that the cultural transformation was inevitable. While previous generations had lived modestly in chawls, younger and better-educated residents were introducing a different lifestyle. He observed that the increase in personal vehicles and the constant flow of delivery executives were clear indicators of the neighbourhood's ongoing transformation.