Mumbai Refugees to Get 635 Sq Ft Homes After 7 Decades

Following Partition, the government rehabilitated Sindhi and Punjabi refugees who had relocated from Pakistan by providing them with 361 square foot apartments in Mumbai’s GTB Nagar in the 1950s. The dwellings were allotted approximately ₹5,300. More than seven decades later, these households are set to receive larger 635 sq ft renovated dwellings, representing a substantial shift in the housing conditions of Mumbai neighborhoods who began rebuilding their lives following independence.

The refugee family settled in Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar in Sion Koliwada and were given 40 square yard (360 sq ft) apartments for ₹5,380 each. The pricing was approximately ₹14-15 per square foot.

The bungalows were part of a government rebuilding initiative for individuals displaced by Partition. Beginning in 1957, more than 1,200 refugee families were housed in around 1,200 apartments spread across 25 buildings designed expressly for them. Families were able to pay for the apartments in installments, making home ownership more affordable as they rebuilt their lives in India.

More than seven decades later, the contrast with Mumbai’s property market remains glaring. Local brokers report that current property rates in the area range between ₹25,000-35,000 per sq ft, up from the original allotted price of ₹14-15 per sq ft. While this indicates a significant increase in the theoretical worth of the homes, residents have had limited opportunities to realize that value due to the structures’ deteriorating state.

The GTB Nagar colony was one of several refugee communities established in Mumbai during Partition. More than 5,000 families were given dwellings in five colonies: Sion Koliwada, Wadia Trust Estate in Kurla, Chembur Colony, Thakkar Bappa Colony in Chembur, and Mulund Colony. The rehabilitation was carried out under the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act of 1954.

Over time, many families that improved their financial situation moved out, selling their apartments to other refugees and, in some cases, non-refugees. Others stayed, expecting that the deteriorating structures would someday be renovated. By the late 1990s, residents were given warnings to move as the structures deteriorated.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ruled the structures unsafe in 2020 and then demolished several of them. According to MHADA, affected residents were forced to seek alternate accommodations. While several buildings were evacuated, some people refused to leave or later reoccupied them, putting their lives in danger.

The Maharashtra government then contracted MHADA to renovate the colony. The rehabilitation would offer impacted households with larger houses of around 635 square feet, a major improvement from the approximately 360 square foot apartments allotted to Partition refugees in the 1950s.

“My grandpa bought the property from the government in 1954 for around ₹5,300. Today, we are grateful to the government for providing us with a 635 sq ft 2 BHK apartment. Sunil Vijan, a resident of GTB Nagar, stated that the developer will pay a monthly fee of ₹20,000 till possession is acquired, which is expected within three years.

1,400 refugee families would get 635 sq ft dwellings in GTB Nagar project.

The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has chosen Rustomjee Group, better known as Keystone Realtors, to redevelop 25 structures in Mumbai’s Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar (GTB Nagar) and Sion Koliwada.

The project would rehabilitate approximately 1,200 Sindhi refugee households that moved to India from Pakistan following Partition. Under the redevelopment plan, qualified families would be given 635-square-foot flats in return for their current houses in decaying buildings.

The 11.20-acre project would also help rehabilitate approximately 200 slum inhabitants. The redevelopment will create 25,700 square meters of MHADA dwelling stock, with an allowed Floor Space Index (FSI) of 4.5, including fungible FSI.