Residents of Dharavi back govt survey to expedite $3 bn rebuilding project

Mumbai: The Adani Group's $3 billion reconstruction project in Dharavi, Mumbai, is receiving overwhelming popular support. Now, residents of the largest slum in the world have endorsed a crucial state government survey.

The survey is being spearheaded by the Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA) of the state government along with the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL), a joint venture between the Government of Maharashtra and the Adani Group.

The aim of the survey is to collect data from lakhs of residents to help the state government determine their eligibility criteria to aid rehabilitation under the proposed redevelopment project, IANS reported.

The survey began on March 18 this year.

It is mapping informal tenements, paving the way for modern housing and amenities to transform the densely populated slum.

Dharavi’s geographical area is just over 2.39 square km in size.

Now, the Citizen and Society Development Welfare body of Dharavi residents has written to DRP/SRA, requesting them to conduct the survey fast to ensure that the redevelopment can move forward without further delays.

The welfare body has submitted a memorandum seeking to expedite the Dharavi survey. The residents also urged the key surveying authorities to take necessary action against any person or group of persons, who are hindering the survey.

In the memorandum, they said that ensuring the lawful and uninterrupted progress of the survey is essential for the benefit of all residents of Dharavi. Several Dharavi residents took to the streets last week, opposing the disruption of the survey by some people.

According to the Adani Group, the redevelopment project in Dharavi will not only provide dignity of living to its over one million residents but, at the same time, will build an unmatched ecosystem of sustainable living and innovation in the heart of Mumbai.

The government launched the redevelopment of Asia's largest slum to help improve the standard of living of its residents. Under the redevelopment project, the tenement holders will be provided a house of 350 square feet, which is 17 per cent more than any other SRA scheme in Mumbai.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Tender is one of the most progressive in terms of its outlook towards informal settlers of Dharavi. It is completely pro-people which includes free and highly concessional housing, stamp duty and property tax exemption, ten-year free maintenance and a ten per cent commercial area in residential premises to enable the prospective housing societies to have a sustainable revenue stream in addition to the corpus being provided, sources submitted.