The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), a joint venture between Adani Group and the Maharashtra Government, recently announced its eligibility criteria for free housing under the scheme. All those who can prove to be residents of Dharavi slums prior to 1 January, are eligible for free housing with a minimum size of 350 square feet, featuring independent kitchens and attached toilets. The rest of the residents will be accommodated across multiple land parcels across the city under the Navi Dharavi plan. Adani Group won the bid for the project in November 2023 and has since enlisted the likes of renowned architect Hafiz Contractor and international companies Sasaki and Buro Happold to executive the project.
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), a joint venture between Adani Group and the Maharashtra Government, recently announced the eligibility criteria for availing free housing via the slum redevelopment scheme. All those who can prove to be residents of Dharavi slums prior to 1 January 2000, are eligible to receive free housing at a minimum size of 350 square feet. These flats will come with independent kitchens and attached toilets.
In 2018, the state government revised the minimum home size to be allotted under redevelopment schemes from 269 square feet to a range of 315-322 square feet for informal settlements. The flat size being provided in the Dharavi project is said to be 17 percent more spacious that what is typically awarded in slum rehabilitation projects in the city.
Beyond housing, the project aims for economic opportunities, futuristic education, advanced healthcare, and an enhanced lifestyle. A DRPPL spokesperson expressed the vision of transforming Dharavi into a globally connected city with commercial and industrial premises while preserving its unique entrepreneurial spirit. The redeveloped area will also include community halls, recreational spaces, public gardens, dispensaries, and day-care centres for children.
Those who cannot prove residency prior to 1 January 2000, but are residents of the slums will be relocated to other sites across the city under the Navi Dharavi plan. Recently, the Housing Department released a letter identifying two land parcels near Octori Naka in Mulund which were to be transferred for this purpose as per state orders. However, the proposal has been met with strong opposition from ruling party leaders as well as the opposition.
In another scenario, last week the slum dwellers of Dharavi held a protest demanding larger tenements and a quicker construction period. The protestors claim that they have been waiting for alternate accommodation for almost twenty years now. While acknowledging the benefits of the current proposal, they wish for a shorter wait time and that the tenements be at least 400-500 square feet large.
According to a 2008 survey, Dharavi slums accommodate 58,000 residents and 12,000 commercial establishments. Most tenements in the area are about two to three storeys high, making it one of the most densely populated slums in the region. This is the fourth attempt by the state government in the last fourteen years to redevelop the slums. In November last year, the Adani Group beat DLF to win the tender to redevelop Dharavi slums. The company has enlisted the likes of renowned architect Hafiz Contractor and international companies such as Sasaki and Buro Happold to executive the project.
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