A newly formed residents’ association body of Dharavi, Asia’s biggest slum, and other local areas have agreed to support the state government in the survey conducted on the informal homes, reported PTI on Sunday, August 4. This comes ahead of Adani’s $3 billion rehabilitation program, which promises to change the living conditions of approximately one million residents of Dharavi, Mumbai.
“We request the survey be conducted at the earliest possible time to ensure that the redevelopment can move forward without further delays,” the Citizen and Society Development Welfare body of Dharavi residents said in a letter to S V R Srinivas, CEO Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority of the government of Maharashtra, on July 30, as per the report.
The association members are seeking faster progress in the survey of the Dharavi slum, according to the report. The survey was started on March 18, 2024, and to date, the data has been collected for 10,000 settlements through the door-to-door visit process, including residential and commercial tenements as well as religious structures in Dharavi, said the report.
The mapping of the entire 600-acre area is very integral to the redevelopment process, which will likely take seven years to finish. Every eligible resident will be provided a 350-square-foot flat in the area after the completion of the project. Others will be relocated elsewhere in Mumbai, as per the report.
Genesys International and Buro Happold will be looking after the 3D mapping and the outline of the physical infrastructure in need respectively. Sasaki Associates Inc. is responsible for the overall re-design of the project. Dharavi residents have asked Srinivas to take legal action against the opposers of the survey process, according to the report.
“We urge the authorities to take necessary action against any person or group of persons, who are hindering the survey. Ensuring the lawful and uninterrupted progress of the survey is essential for the benefit of all residents of Dharavi,” said the residents association in the memo, as per the report.
The redevelopment process can only go forward once the survey is over, said Deepak Kaitke one of the members of the association. He also told PTI that the association wants the master plan for the development to be disclosed first, as per the report.
“We want to know who will be relocated, where and when the flats will be ready. The details and timelines need to be disclosed,” Kaitke told the news agency.
Some residents have opposed the survey but nearly 30 to 40 DRP survey teams are visiting every tenement despite the heavy monsoons in Mumbai. The total number of teams will be further increased to 100 teams in the near future, according to the report.
The survey identifies residents who have proof of living prior to January 1, 2000, as per the report. These residents will receive the 350-square-foot homes after the development plan is over.
Adani’s redevelopment project will involve making a suitable transportation system along with modern infrastructure utilities, with goals to provide eco-friendly jobs to increase their earning capabilities, according to the report.