REAL ESTATE Slum Rehabilitation

SD Corporation, a confluence of two External view of one of the final rehab building real estate developers, Shapoorji Pallonji and Dilip Thacker, is a preferred developer for redevelopment projects. The company has a vision to infuse a fresh lease of life in old and dilapidated buildings through the process of redevelopment giving the city a fresh and a modern look. Amit Thacker, Head - SD Corporation Pvt. Ltd briefs on the realty developer’s interest in the slum resettlement & rehabilitation projects especially in .

lum resettlement & rehabilitation is specific to metro cities where there are constraints of space and Spresence of slums & old structures. Specifically with a city like Mumbai where we have a higher concentration of slums, the developers are bound to enter into slum resettlement & rehabilitation projects to release the locked land. Moreover, these projects promise an apartment and a better lifestyle to those living in the slums. Any slum rehabilitation project starts with 70% or more Finally, each family gets one planned & of the eligible hutment dwellers in a slum pocket, having proper self contained unit free of cost to show their willingness to join the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme and come together to form a co-operative housing society through a resolution to that effect. The resolution should be adopted for electing a chief promoter, officer bearers and the members of the proposed society. They should collect the information of the proposed members/ slum dwellers and fill up Annexure-II prescribed by SRA along with request to SRA /Collector town planning division for survey/measurement of plot showing slum structures therein with the help of surveyors attached to the office of Addl. Coll. (Enc) of the Zone. While the above steps are being taken, the decision to search a competent developer to act as a developer

46 l BuildoTech l November ’13 REAL ESTATE has to be taken up by the proposed society with 70% with vested interests, people who prefer status quo and consent between the developers and slum dwellers. The averse to changes, require much convincing to be moved developer so chosen has also to appoint an architect in to transit/other accommodation. Also pending appeals consultation with proposed Co-op. Housing Society of regarding eligibility of slum dwellers and other non- slum dwellers to prepare the plans of development of the anticipated litigation from non-co-operative slum dwellers slum area as per DCR 33(10). can create unexpected hurdles while implementing the The next critical milestone of the project is to get the scheme. Also being a slum, clearances of existing taxes/ Annexure II to be issued by Addl. Collector (Enc), which dues and clearances from the various departments does confirms the eligibility of the slum dwellers and reasons take its own time. for non- eligibility. This is based on various documents submitted by slum dwellers prior to January 1st, 1995 Projects In cities like Mumbai, luxury residential apartments which is the cut of date for eligibility. All non -eligible are in demand in the downtown and prime suburbs in slum dwellers have an alternate remedy to appeal before plush residential areas. A few upcoming suburbs where Secretary SRA for adjudication of their eligibility. the real estate market is matured see a demand for Meanwhile, the developer also applies to the SRA luxury housing too. for the LOI. The LOI, mentions details with regard to the Our ongoing redevelopment projects include the plot area, sanctioned FSI, permissible FSI, and number construction of luxury residential tower,The Imperial Edge of slum dwellers to be accommodated, reservations and in , two MHADA redevelopment projects other conditions to be complied before asking for Intent in Kandivali and Andheri each and a slum rehabilitation of Approval. After compliance of certain conditions of project in Antop Hill. LOI, IOA can be issued and the process of relocation of Sustainability begins with the conceptualization slum Dwellers can be initiated. The residents are usually of the project and extends beyond the completion. moved to a rental/transit accommodation. Site clearance For example, at the Imperial tower building in , itself is a tedious process where we also require various Mumbai, which is already occupied by residents, clearances from the water, electricity department, our facility management still boasts of a number of etc., notwithstanding the other practical challenges, of sustainable measures. This is one of the few buildings in moving people from their existing residing spaces. the city which not only imposes a fine on the residents The entire exercise could take anywhere between who fail to segregate wet & dry garbage, but also has two to three years to get the construction work started a separate collection system for e-waste. Infact, we also at the site. Site clearance is one of the key challenges received the ‘Ecorecognition 2013’ from EORECO for the faced by the developers in SRA projects. Groups, people E-Waste segregation policy implemented there-in.

8000 sq mtrs of garden & hill slope restored & freed from encroachment

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C ase Study Luxury I mperial Towers

From a piece of land encroached upon by slums to rehabilitation buildings for slum dwellers and super luxury residential towers for sale the journey of ‘The Imperial’ has been inspiring and enlightening to all involved.

The Imperial – ’s tallest Buildings

48 l BuildoTech l November ’13 REAL ESTATE

he Imperial is a twin-tower residential skyscraper 450. This gives the slabs added tensile strength allowing located at the sea front in Tardeo, South Mumbai. longer spans in between beams. The building also has TWhile the project offers an ultra luxury living made provisions for segregation of wet and dry garbage to the rich of Mumbai, it also helped provide 2600 and a separate collection system for e-waste. hutment dwellers a permanent alternate self-contained accommodation. Also, due to a upscale project like the Rehabilitation component Imperial coming up, the entire area has been upgraded More than 10,000 residents of MP Mill Compound as a premium area. Hence, the area which was once located at Tardeo in the heart of South Mumbai, shrouded by the proliferation of slums, now consists of initially were staying in approximately 2600 hutments multiple high rise buildings freeing tremendous amounts in slum conditions. Each of the families has now been of open spaces to convert into green garden areas. re-habilitated in 11 residential towers ranging from seven stories to 22 stories tall. They have been provided with apartments which consist of a room, kitchen and an The redevelopment model is an attached bathroom. They also have facilities like crèches, efficient way of addressing land welfare centres, regular water & electricity supply. The shortage in a congested city like rehabilitation process took place in three broad steps:- • The hutments were demolished and the occupants Mumbai as not only do developers moved to temporary transit accommodation. profit from this unique business model • The space freed by demolishing slums was used for but also slum dwellers are provided construction of permanent rehab buildings. The with a better quality of life. evacuated families were moved into these new permanent buildings from the transit buildings. – Amit Thacker • The balance freed space was used for construction of buildings for sale. Luxury Component The Imperial is the flagship project of SD Corporation consisting of two residential towers of 60 storeys each and at 253 meters (827 feet) above sea level. The building is meant for the connoisseurs of high living and has set a new benchmark by introducing luxury living with conscience concept. Located in the prime location in South Mumbai, the towers are designed by . Each tower consists of large format apartments and duplexes ranging from 2,500 sqft. to 10,000 sqft. in area. The interiors for the apartments are done by renowned Indian designers Pinakin Patel and Neterwala & Aibara and Craig Nealy Architects from USA. It is one of the few residential buildings in the world to have an aluminum composite panel (ACP) façade which is virtually maintenance free for up to 40 years. The construction used M 50 grade cement (usually used in dams & bridges) and Fe 500 iron instead of the regular Fe

Deck area & view from The Imperial Apartment Living Room in one of the apartments at The Imperial

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