On Monday night, Dharavi residents protested, requesting clarification on the distribution of residential and commercial space and expressing disapproval of the survey that is now being conducted in advance of the slum’s planned rehabilitation.
At a public meeting organized under the banner of the Dharavi Bachao Andolan, around 100 residents gathered on Dharavi Main Road in Mahim East. The protest targeted the Adani Group-led Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Limited (DRPPL), which is overseeing the redevelopment.
Protesters called for openness on the project’s master plan, 500-square-foot dwellings, shops in return for existing commercial spaces, the distribution of land for commercial establishments, and the restoration of Dharavi’s pottery centre, Kumbharwada, within the renovated region.
Concerns were also raised about the survey process. “Privately hired individuals are conducting the survey without government officials present. They are numbering our homes, but we have no clarity on what they are recording or if it’s being done accurately. There’s a lot of uncertainty,” said Abdul Khan, a Dharavi resident.
Making sure that businesses and citizens stay in Dharavi is another important need. Residents of Kumbharwada were transported to Kurla Mother Dairy last week in buses, and it is anticipated that they will be moved there. We don’t want to go, though. “We require land in Dharavi to house our residences and business establishments,” stated Ulvesh Gajakosh, the Dharavi Bachao Andolan coordinator.
Gajakosh further emphasised that Dharavi is a vital hub for small-scale industries, and its redevelopment should not erase the livelihoods of its residents. “A private developer cannot simply wipe out an essential part of this city,” he stated, as protesters echoed these concerns.
Other requests include 750-square-foot dwellings for areas under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) estate department and officially built chawls by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
All ground-floor commercial tenements that were occupied on or before January 1, 2000, are eligible for restoration within the Dharavi Notified Area (DNA), according to a project official. Tenements up to 250 square feet will receive the same space, up to a maximum of 225 square feet, for free. Tenements larger than 250 square feet will receive an extra 225 square feet for free, with more space available at the construction cost determined by the Maharashtra government.
Source: Hindustan Times
