The Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) remains the most unusual urban rehabilitation program, to transform Dharavi, one of the world’s largest and most densely populated slums. The slum community, which covers around 590 acres in the heart of Mumbai, has grown over the years into a hub of informal housing, small-scale industry, and a melting pot of varied ethnicities.
Dharavi began as a fishing town in the late 1800s, but it quickly grew into a vast informal settlement as workers and migrants poured into Mumbai. Today, it is home to about one million people, the majority of whom live in densely packed shanties and run thousands of small businesses with shaky infrastructure.
The Adani Group then offered Rs 4,529 crore for the project, but the government’s delays and dithering resulted in the cancellation of this deal. This decision sparked criticism because the delay was viewed as a missed chance for Mumbai’s urban development. However, with the BJP’s ongoing efforts, particularly those of Devendra Fadnavis, there was no turning back this time.
After the Mahayuti administration, a coalition led by the BJP and Shiv Sena took office, there was a renewed emphasis on Dharavi’s reconstruction. This resulted in a revamped bidding procedure for 2022, to overcome earlier delays and inefficiencies.
Since taking office, the Mahayuti government has advanced the Dharavi project by completing land acquisitions and changing laws to assist with relocation and infrastructural upgrades. The reconstruction is projected to provide a modern, well-planned neighbourhood with better housing, infrastructure, and facilities.
Ultimately, this concept will allow for the integration of Dharavi’s residents and economy, as well as the opening of the entire district to Mumbai’s broader population.
Source: Swarajya
