Worli Koliwada Residents Protest SRA’s Move to Terminate Developer

Mumbai: Residents of Worli Koliwada gathered on Sunday morning to protest notices issued by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to initiate the termination of the developer handling the redevelopment of over 2,300 tenements spread across nearly six acres of prime land.

Of the total tenements, 2,054 fall under the proposed Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony Co-operative Housing Society, while around 265 belong to the Sagar Darshan Co-operative Housing Society. The Chaitanya Sai project has been pending for nearly 30 years, while the Sagar Darshan project began three to four years ago, and both projects were to be redeveloped by Chintaharni Chintpurni Realtors.

In the case of Sagar Darshan, the SRA had issued a Letter of Intent and a Commencement Certificate allowing construction up to the ground floor level, which has now been completed. However, construction for the Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony has not yet begun. Residents said that after detailed scrutiny, the SRA granted formal approval to both projects in October 2024, after which the redevelopment work began.

However, while construction was progressing smoothly, the SRA’s Chief Executive Officer issued a notice to remove the developer, without citing any clear, transparent, or justifiable reason. This sudden move has pushed the project back into limbo and placed thousands of families at risk once again, according to Shekhar Palav, one of the residents. On Sunday, angry residents raised slogans against SRA CEO Mahendra Kalyankar, objecting to the move to terminate the developer.

Meanwhile, the SRA has issued a termination notice to the developer and scheduled a hearing on Wednesday under section 13(2) of the Maharashtra Slum Areas Act, 1971. The provision applies when the redevelopment does not progress within stipulated timelines or violates approved plans, and allows parties to present their case before a final order is passed.

Advocate Nilesh Ravindra Haldankar, representing the Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony, questioned the timing of the notice. “How can the developer be replaced when the land title issue is still pending before the Bombay High Court?” he said. The case pertains to deciding whether the structures at Worli Koliwada qualify as slums under the law.

The SRA’s CEO Mahendra Kalyankar did not respond to attempts to contact him. However, another SRA official told HT that no permission had been granted to the developer to construct beyond the ground level at Sagar Darshan and that the land title of the Chaitanya Sai Janata Colony remains under judicial scrutiny.

Until the court decides on the land title, the SRA cannot issue further permissions for construction, the official said, adding that the notice and hearing were issued to push stalled ground-level work, which has been progressing slowly.