BDD

Bombay Development Department(1919-1926) founded in the year 1920 under a civil servant, Sir Lawless Hepper to implement the objectives as outlined by the the Governor of Bombay Sir George Lloyd of undertaking major housing construction projects. The Department was to be funded from the proceeds of a development loan that was mounted under the catchword of "by Bombay for Bombay" and from a one-rupee town duty levied on each bale of cotton which entered the city.

BDD in total constructed 195 Chawls which contained 16,200 tenements spread over 87 acres of land. A typical chawl contained a three storied building having tenements of 160 square feet with common bathroom and toilet facilities on each floor. These chawls were built at Worli(121), Sewri, Naigaon(42 Chawls with 20 flats on each floor) and Parel.

These chawl neighbourhoods have seen several socio-political movements ranging from the working class movements to the Dalit-Panther movement.