August 8, 2025: On Thursday, residents of Kurla’s Tilak Nagar and the neighbourhood around Mother Dairy land marched from Nehru Nagar in East Kurla to Azad Maidan, opposing the proposed relocation of families from Dharavi to their already congested area. The protest, led by resident Kiran Pailwan, sought to draw attention to mounting population pressure and the strain on infrastructure.
“When the area is already so crowded, the plan to relocate people from Dharavi doesn’t make sense. Living here is already difficult due to the population, and this move will only make things worse for us and for those who will be relocated,” Pailwan said. He explained that the land was earlier under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), with around 40 families per building, but the number has since more than doubled, making evening movement on the roads nearly impossible.
Pailwan alleged that repeated letters to the authorities have gone unanswered. “We’ve raised our concerns repeatedly since the relocation plan was announced, but no one has paid attention. We’ve run out of options — that’s why we decided to walk all the way here,” he added.
Environmental concerns also fuelled the protest. According to resident Sandeep Etam, the Mother Dairy land contains between 1,100 and 1,300 trees, all of which could be cut down for redevelopment. “The authorities once promised us a garden here, but now we’re only getting buildings. We’ve accepted that our area is congested, but now we also have to give up our oxygen,” Etam said.
The march, initially planned to reach the Chief Minister’s residence in Malabar Hill, was stopped by police at Azad Maidan. “First, they ignore our letters, and now they’re stopping us from holding our elected officials accountable. We’re not against development or redevelopment. We just don’t want to lose our peace in the name of progress,” Etam added.
Source: Mid-day
