India, April 29 -- Bringing both relief and confusion, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday assured a lifeline to 19 buildings near the British-era Elphinstone bridge set to be affected by its reconstruction. At a meeting at Sahyadri Guest House, Malabar Hill, Fadnavis announced that the Maharashtra government would offer cluster redevelopment under Section 33(9) of Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) to safeguard residents, delaying a final decision on when the bridge will be closed.

The meeting, convened after MLA Ashish Shelar raised residents' concerns, was attended by MMRDA commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee and officials from the BMC, Mhada, MSRDC and the state government. While two buildings - Haji Noorani and La...