Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday announced a large-scale redevelopment push aimed at making Mumbai slum-free through cluster redevelopment projects, integrated infrastructure planning, and mass housing creation.
Speaking at the Maharashtra Infrastructure Conclave in Mumbai, Shinde said the government is targeting nearly 15 lakh rehabilitation homes by 2030 and has already created 19 cluster redevelopment zones across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
He said the redevelopment model would transform congested settlements into planned urban neighbourhoods with wider roads, gardens, playgrounds, schools, and improved civic infrastructure.
“Mumbaikars should not be forced to live in inhuman conditions near nullahs and in areas with inadequate sanitation. The government has taken the responsibility to change this reality and ensure every eligible citizen gets a proper home,” Shinde said.
The redevelopment programme involves agencies, including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, City and Industrial Development Corporation, Slum Rehabilitation Authority, and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority.
Shinde said the initiative is intended not only to redevelop buildings but also to improve living standards and urban infrastructure across entire neighbourhoods.
Officials at the conclave said projects such as the promenade and racecourse redevelopment are expected to create nearly 300 hectares of open spaces in Mumbai.
Shinde also referred to the redevelopment of the BDD chawls as an example of the government’s urban housing plans.
SRA Chief Executive Officer Mahendra Kalyankar said the authority is expected to add around seven lakh rehabilitation housing units by 2030, compared to nearly 2.9 lakh units developed since the SRA was formed more than two decades ago.
Kalyankar said nearly 1.5 lakh rehabilitation units are planned in Dharavi, where some areas currently have one toilet for nearly 1,000 residents. He added that the Dharavi Experience Centre is expected to be ready by August 15.
Shinde said Mumbai’s continued growth as a hub for investment, startups, and infrastructure would depend on large-scale urban transformation.