The Bombay High Court has allowed the redevelopment of the historic Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai, rejecting a petition that sought to halt the project. The petitioners had argued that most workers had not agreed to the proposed plan to integrate a portion of the drying area with a nearby slum rehabilitation scheme.
According to details presented in court, the ghat is used by around 730 licensed dhobis. However, only 264 of them had reportedly given consent for the redevelopment plan. Despite this, the court observed that there were no legal grounds to stop the project and dismissed the plea.
The petitioners had approached the court in December 2025, raising concerns about the redevelopment proposal and its impact on the traditional drying areas used by dhobis. The High Court delivered its judgment on February 23, 2026, allowing the project to proceed.
During the hearing, the court noted that the rope-drying spaces used by workers do not constitute tenancy rights. As a result, the petitioners’ claim that the redevelopment would infringe upon their tenancy protections was not upheld.
Under the proposed redevelopment plan, a private developer will reconstruct the Dhobi Ghat facilities and hand them back to the workers once the project is completed. The developer has indicated that alternative arrangements will be provided for affected dhobis during the redevelopment phase. The reconstruction of the ghat is expected to be completed within a five-year period before it is handed back to the community.
The redevelopment proposal forms part of a broader urban renewal effort aimed at increasing housing availability in Mumbai’s densely populated neighbourhoods. By integrating the Dhobi Ghat land into a slum rehabilitation project, authorities hope to create additional residential units while modernising the historic laundry facility.
Dhobi Ghat is widely recognised as one of Mumbai’s most distinctive traditional workplaces, where hundreds of washermen process laundry using open-air washing areas and drying lines. The redevelopment project aims to preserve the functioning of the ghat while aligning it with larger urban development plans in the city.
Source: NewsBytes
