Andheri West Redevelopment: Maharashtra Govt To Shift AAI Towers, Raise Height Limits

In a major relief for residents of D N Nagar and Gulmohar area in Andheri West, Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant has announced that the state government will complete the land allocation process to relocate the Airport Authority of India's (AAI) high-frequency transmission towers within three months, according to a Hindustan Times (HT) report.

The decision follows a calling attention motion raised by BJP MLA Ameet Satam in the legislative assembly. Satam highlighted that these towers had restricted the permitted height of buildings in D N Nagar, preventing the redevelopment of old residential structures. Currently, no builders are willing to take up redevelopment projects due to the 32-metre height limit, which allows only seven to eight floors.

Photo Credit: PTI

"Due to these restrictions, redevelopment has been stalled in D N Nagar, Juhu, and Gulmohar," Satam said. "Many buildings are over 45 years old and will soon be declared unsafe. Middle-class families will have no option but to vacate their homes."

Satam added that the issue had been taken up with both the central and state governments, but a solution was still awaited. He questioned where the towers would be relocated, as shifting them to Gorai was not possible. He also sought a clear timeline for relocating the towers and relaxing height restrictions.

In response, Samant stated that a committee would visit the proposed site before finalising the relocation. "Once the site is inspected, we will immediately start the process," he said. "I have spoken to Civil Aviation Minister Muralidhar Mohol, who is positive about resolving this issue. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also urged the union government to act swiftly. Before the next assembly session, we will complete the land allocation and work towards lifting the height restrictions."

Parag Sawant, a resident of D N Nagar, explained how the restrictions had stalled redevelopment. "Our building was planned for 16 floors, but the AAI rule came after construction had started. Now it is stuck at 12 floors," he said. "Many other projects in the area have been abandoned due to height limits."

Residents now hope that the relocation will be completed on time, allowing long-pending redevelopment projects to proceed.