November 11, 2025: With less than two months remaining until the 2022–25 deadline, Mumbai has completed barely a quarter of its target to construct 1.5 lakh tenements for slum rehabilitation. According to officials from the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), only 37,560 homes had been completed and granted occupation certificates as of September 2025. The sluggish progress has cast serious doubt on the government’s plan to build over five lakh homes by 2030.
In 2022, the state government identified 517 stalled slum redevelopment projects across the city. Among these, 45 had financial backing, 21 had newly appointed builders, while 228 were transferred to various government agencies for redevelopment, with an estimated output of 1.57 lakh tenements.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has begun work on the Ramabai Nagar redevelopment project in Ghatkopar, while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has faced tepid responses to tenders for 77 slum clusters, forcing it to reissue bids for 26 of them.
The SRA has also relocated slums obstructing key infrastructure projects. For instance, 327 slum dwellings in Magathane–Borivli, affecting the Thane–Borivli twin tunnel, have been cleared and residents rehabilitated as project-affected persons (PAPs). Similar handovers include 343 PAP tenements to MMRDA and 136 for the Bombay High Court complex project.
Experts say the pace of construction is far from sufficient. “The government is never going to achieve this figure. The only way they can genuinely improve the quality of life is by slum upgradation, making provisions for civic amenities. And probably redevelop only the ones on vulnerable land parcels; not by monetising land as in the case of Dharavi,” said Shweta Tambe, director of the Habitat and Livelihood Welfare Association.
Architect Nitin Killawala added, “Prima facie, the reason appears to be of cost constraints, which proves partnering with private entities is not a workable solution. In fact, it is pretentious. Govt has to bear only the construction cost for SRA, which is minuscule and should be prioritised against the innumerable infrastructure projects that are in progress.”
With only 37,560 units ready and coordination hurdles persisting, experts warn that Mumbai’s slum rehabilitation goals risk falling far short of the 2030 vision.
Source: The Realty Today
