July 25, 2025: Kumbharwada, Asia’s largest traditional potters’ settlement and a key part of Mumbai’s Dharavi for over a century, witnessed unrest on Thursday morning as local artisans staged a protest against the ongoing survey being conducted under the Adani Group-led Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP).
The protest began around 10am when surveyors, accompanied by police and representatives of Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited, arrived near the 90-feet Road adjacent to Kumbharwada. The potter community blocked access to the narrow lanes leading to homes and kilns, objecting to the door-to-door survey. “Only a handful of residents have agreed to participate. Yet, officials are numbering even those homes whose owners have not consented,” said Adam G, a resident of Kumbharwada.
Police intervened, detaining around 40 to 50 protestors and escorting them to the local police station. “We made it clear that proper procedures haven’t been followed,” said A. Solanki, a third-generation potter. “There’s no clarity on our relocation or how our traditional livelihoods will be protected.”
Although the survey resumed briefly after the protestors were removed, it was halted again by 1pm when they returned. Survey numbers painted in red on doors were defaced by residents, claiming homes of non-consenting families and even locked properties had been marked.
The protest follows a quieter incident the previous day, marking the start of DRP’s first survey in the 12–13-acre Kumbharwada area, home to nearly 3,500 families. Artisans here have long voiced concerns over the Rs 95,790-crore redevelopment project, fearing displacement and the loss of their heritage trades. The colony’s narrow lanes house kilns and drying spaces, with its handcrafted pots exported globally.
DRP representatives assert the survey was initiated at the request of some potters, and that resistance stems from a few “influential” families. So far, 250 houses have reportedly been marked
Source: Hindustan Times
