Saifee Burhani Trust’s Bhendi Bazaar Project

Saifee Burhani – There is a market called Bhendi Bazaar in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. This 150-year-old bazaar is located in the richly cultural and historically significant area between Mohammed Ali Road and Khetwadi. It is a well-known destination for shopping, offering everything from lace, rugs, and antiques to clothing, hardware, and religious accoutrements.

Bhendi Bazaar, located in the centre of Mumbai, is in a state of terrible urban deterioration. The store owners live in buildings that were newly constructed at the time of establishment while operating centuries-old companies. The nearly century-old infrastructure is inadequate for the needs of contemporary urban living.

One of Bhendi Bazaar’s oldest sweet stores, Tawakkal Sweets, has endured difficult circumstances for many years. The owner, Moayyad Mithaiwala, of the present generation, states, “My grandpa, father, and I endured numerous difficulties growing up in a 10×10 chawl at Bhendi Bazaar. We have witnessed everything, from poor hygiene and leaking roofs to disorganised daily life and narrow streets outside of stores.

However, Tawakkal Sweets and 1,000 other businesses have experienced a favourable turnaround thanks to a redevelopment initiative put out by the Mumbai-based Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT).

Saifee Burhani

The majority of the structures in Bhendi Bazaar were composed of brick and wood. They were becoming increasingly unstable structurally and perilously perilous. The populace living there is vulnerable to natural disasters because the buildings were built with insufficient fire and safety precautions. A pedestrian’s worst nightmare is the bazaar’s lack of walkways, which makes it nearly difficult for automobiles to drive through the small lanes.

The SBUT felt it was time for renewal in 2009 as the neighbourhood was ageing and businesses were operating at full capacity under broken shanty roofs. The organisation was created as a public charitable trust in the same year.

The Saifee Burhani Upliftment Project (SBUP), also known as the Bhendi Bazaar Redevelopment Project, was started by SBUT with the primary objective of making the area a healthier and happier place to live. The goal is to significantly raise everyone’s level of living in Bhendi Bazaar. There are 250 dilapidated structures there, together with 3200 families, 1250 stores, and 16.5 acres of land.

Newly renovated stores in Bhendi Bazaar

Additional open spaces, green areas, play areas, and recreational spaces will be added to more than 1000 establishments. In the renovation plans, large highways will take the place of the cramped, narrow lanes to make room for tree-lined sidewalks that will facilitate the seamless movement of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

According to the organization, “Some of the best traffic management ideas have been implemented as part of the design. This will significantly cut down on gasoline use and carbon footprint.

The project’s first phase was finished in 2019. In this, 610 families and 128 businesses relocated to new locations, and the project’s second phase is already in progress. The organization anticipates finishing in the following three to four years.

Bhendi Bazaar following renovation

Today, Tawakkal Sweets owner Moayyad Mithaiwala says, “This reconstruction is the best thing that could have happened to us. Earlier, we shopkeepers would run our operations quickly, but this project has introduced a proper framework with guidelines that have made it orderly. Families were forced to relocate to transit accommodations at first, which hurt our store sales. However, things have improved when we moved back into Al Sa’adah towers. While other industries prepare, we hope this continues.

The SBUT, according to Moayyad, has always provided excellent support. His family and many other Bhendi Bazaar locals have full faith that Muhammed Burhauddin Maulana Syedna’s proposal will bear fruit and be beneficial.

The post Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust’s Bhendi Bazaar Redevelopment Project Transforms 1K Shops first appeared on My CSR India - Sustainability News | Corporate Social Responsibility.