MUMBAI, 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 Laxmi Niwas - face immediate demolition, the other 17, many over a century old, are at risk of structural damage from construction. Under the plan, residents of Haji Noorani and Laxmi Niwas will be moved to transit accommodation in Kurla. However, residents have rejected even a temporary shift. "We refuse to go to Kurla. Our work, our children's schools, our lives are here," said Munaf Thakur of Haji Noorani. For most, the idea of cluster redevelopment - combining plots to rebuild in the same location - was a long-standing demand. Still, there was scepticism about implementation timelines. "If it really finishes in one-and-a-half years, great. But often projects stretch endlessly," said shop owner Pranali Parab. "We don't want a situation where our grandchildren are still waiting for homes." Residents raised several unanswered questions. "Where will the people from the other 17 buildings go during redevelopment?" asked Sriram Pawar of the Parel Residents Association. Further complicating matters is the impact of the adjoining Worli-Sewri bridge project. Kamal Chheda, a resident of the historic Zaveri Building, said the bridge's viaduct will run just 100 feet above their structure. "This will hamper future redevelopment options. We'll be squeezed between the viaduct and neighbouring buildings, making it difficult to reconstruct properly," he warned. Chheda added that residents were informed that the bridge would first be rebuilt over 16-18 months, with building redevelopment starting only after. "This could push the project to five years or more. We urged that redevelopment and bridge construction happen simultaneously, or residents be given compensation at market rates." Pawar also criticised the delay in considering cluster redevelopment. "Why was this not discussed at the planning stage of the Worli-Sewri connector? This late decision has left everyone scrambling," he said. Residents were also upset that Wadala's MLA Kalidas Kolambkar was excluded from the meeting. Responding to the concerns, MMRDA officials said the project would now be delayed, as they would have to rework the plan entirely. "We will have to begin with the rehabilitation of the affected residents through cluster redevelopment, as directed by the government, before proceeding further," an official said. Anil Kumbhare, joint commissioner of police (traffic), added that the bridge would be closed only after the MMRDA formally instructed them to proceed....