MMRDA to Rehabilitate 174 Families for Bandra and Kurla Pod Taxi Terminals
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is currently conducting surveys to relocate approximately 174 families from Bandra, near the Bandra railway station, and Kurla, between the Kurla railway station and the police housing colony. This rehabilitation process is being undertaken to clear land for the construction of terminal stations and infrastructure for the upcoming Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) pod taxi project.
A ground survey by the MMRDA has identified 128 affected structures next to the Bandra railway station, where the Bandra terminal is proposed. Most of these structures are slum homes, while five are commercial establishments.
In Kurla, the MMRDA identified 46 structures, including chawls and slum homes, along the stretch where the Kurla terminal station and a connecting skywalk will be built. Officials noted that a few more structures could be impacted if additional space is required for an escalator, though the survey is still being finalised.
Currently, the MMRDA’s transport, survey, and social development departments are carrying out a joint verification of the survey. Once this verification is completed, an official list of the affected structures will be prepared, and eligible families will be allocated rehabilitation tenements through a lottery system.
Affected families eligible under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project II will receive 269-square-foot rehabilitation tenements. While some families are expected to be relocated within Kurla, the MMRDA is also exploring housing options in the western suburbs following requests from local residents.
Land acquisition for the two main terminal stations remains in progress. The Bandra terminal is planned on a 4,000-square-meter plot belonging to the Rail Land Development Authority. Although in-principle approval for the land transfer was granted in March, the formal agreement has not yet been signed.
In Kurla, the terminal is slated for the existing police housing colony near Bhabha Hospital. The proposal involves redeveloping the site to place the terminal station on the lower floors and new police housing above. While the police department has agreed to the plan, the state government has not yet issued the required resolution.
The first phase of the pod taxi project, spanning 3.36 kilometres and featuring eight stations, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028. The Bandra and Kurla sections will initially operate independently before being integrated into the full 8.85-kilometre network across BKC.
