Mumbai, April 4 -- A part of Khotachiwadi, a 200-year-old heritage village in the heart of Girgaon, is history. The Khanderao Block, or Khanderao Chawl, which once housed the staff of the affluent owners of the colourful Indo-Portuguese-style bungalows that dot the village, is among half a dozen structures in Khotachiwadi Lane that have been razed for redevelopment. While Khotachiwadi is a Grade III heritage precinct, which has made its redevelopment a highly contentious issue, the structures that were razed were in the non-heritage section of the neighbourhood. Civic regulations permit the reconstruction of listed Grade III heritage structures and precincts if they are in poor condition or if the redeveloped building does not interfere with the heritage precinct's skyline. The Khanderao Block chawls were an extension of the Portuguese-style structures, with porches on every floor. "These were some of the most beautiful three-storey Portuguese-style buildings, arranged in a U-shape with a temple in the centre," recalled noted fashion designer James Ferreira, who lives in one of the bungalows that has stood for around 200 years in the precinct. All 64 residents of Khanderao Block will be rehoused in-situ in a 10-storey building spread across the 13,900-sqft plot area. "There will not be any free sale flats coming up here," said Anuj Mehta, partner and CEO of the Dhuleva Group, the project's developer. So far, the residents at Khotachiwadi have successfully made themselves heard to preserve the neighbourhood's old-world charm. "We have had support from the Thackerays, including Aaditya Thackeray," said Ferreira. Another resident who lives opposite the razed Khanderao Block, requesting anonymity, lamented that the neighbourhood is rapidly changing. "Those who revisit after some years are unable to recognise the lanes," they said. However, the new-age Mumbai has now reached their doorsteps, with the entrance to Khotachiwadi Lane now dwarfed by recently constructed high-rises facing V P Road. "A high-rise will not come up at this location," assured Mehta, adding that his company will utilise the Floor Space Index (FSI) available from this location in its other redevelopment project in Mumbai....