Dharavi Makeover: How India's Most Ambitious Slum Redevelopment Project Is Taking Shape

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), initially mooted in 2004, has progressed to its next phase with the realty arm of Infrastructure major Adani Group emerging as the lowest bidder.

The project will progress through the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed between the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and Adani Realty.

The redevelopment of Dharavi can be seen as the largest slum development project. It looks at one of the most densely populated settlements of the world, with a long history of cultures, interactions and livelihoods it carries for the residents and the city of Mumbai.

Dharavi spans 259 hectares with population estimates of around 600,000 and 12,000 commercial establishments. The region significantly contributes to the economy, probably notching up an annual turnover of several hundred crores of rupees.

The DRP has an ambitious timeline of seven years for rehabilitation and revamping Dharavi and 17 years for sale processes. This will be one of the first resettlement actions at this scale.

It would not be a conventional slum rehabilitation project, with many residents and commercial activities deeply entrenched in the existing settlement for years.

Rather, it would require an off-the-wall approach and ideas to create new ways of execution to reckon with the numerous social, infrastructural, environmental and economic aspects that appear with its projects.

Balancing The Existing Settlement

The primary concern remains the rehabilitation of the dense slum population and businesses of the settlement. Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis stated that around 59,165 families will be part of this rehabilitation, of which 46,191 are residential and 12,974 non-residential.

The families ineligible for rehabilitation will not be displaced. These families will be provided shelter under a rental housing scheme.

During the revamping project, the initial resettlements will be arranged on the allotted railway land in Dadar of 47.5 hectares. DRA signed a "definitive agreement" with railways for the same.

The existing built culture of Dharavi is a combination of permanent and impermanent structures formed without any planning. It is based on the needs and requirements of the inhabitants. Most of these structures need to conform to the city's building codes and safety norms.

The objective of rehabilitation is predominantly to improve the shelter needs of the dwellers. It aims to provide basic shelter infrastructure that always needed settlement improvement.

New shelter infrastructure will be upgraded to permanent housing with piped water supply, drainage, waste disposal, green areas, and social infrastructure.

Besides the shelter rehabilitation, a vital consideration is bridging the functioning of various economic activities ongoing in Dharavi. A vibrant range of industries and enterprises are concentrated within its 223 hectares of land area.

It becomes necessary to identify the diverse nature and typologies of these activities and their supporting networks, as these sustain various livelihoods and provide income to thousands of citizens of Mumbai.

This includes establishing non-polluting industries and numerous small-scale businesses related to exporting quality leather, pottery, medicines, soap, clothing, footwear, food vendors and suppliers and recycling enterprises.

Reshaping Maximum Potential Through Redevelopment

The redevelopment project will be a major economic contributor to Mumbai and Maharashtra. The plan incorporates industrial and business zones for the existing and new businesses and commercial activities with better facilities, infrastructure and platforms for improved conditions and growth.

The increased floor space index (FSI), will allow the structures to grow vertically, freeing up more land area for multiple activities. Dharavi currently has a low FSI and is sprawled horizontally, accommodating the high density.

The FSI has increased to four, which allows the built-up area to be four times the provided land area, corresponding to the permissible heights and ground coverage.

The developers would get this incentivised FSI to capitalise on the land by developing real estate of commercial centres, residential complexes and more for the open market to yield the potential land value.

It will open up opportunities for numerous new trades and businesses fulfilling its commercial viability and major role in the country's financial capital. 

Dharavi retains a prime location in Mumbai with proximity to existing business districts and financial centres of the city, including the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Nariman Point.

The property rates in the surroundings are also expected to rise by about 30-40 per cent once the projects are executed. The area is well networked as it lies near the airport and connected to rail through stations of Mahim, Matunga and Sion, which connects to the western, central and suburban lines.

The redesign will open up the large expanse of Dharavi slums to the surrounding progressive landscape of Mumbai. The revamped identity of Dharavi will decrease the residential differentiation in the city today and allow the integration of its residents within the city population.

Being the largest example of urban regeneration in India, the redevelopment project will continue to come up with numerous considerations and encounter certain challenges as it evolves.

These could be conflicts related to land, housing allotment, livelihoods and requirements that may vary for the population. The challenge becomes to develop a framework for resettlement which aims to fulfil and justify the maximum needs of the inhabitants.

For a project of this scale, concerns might emerge with existing land conditions and use for developing the adequate infrastructure suitable for the area and proposed activities.

As the population is large, adequate interactions and awareness of policies for upgradation, financing, and allotment will be essential throughout the rehabilitation process.

The key approach lies in a highly coordinated and participatory process with recognition of existing social and economic cultures and present inhabitants' involvement.

During the planning process, challenges with dedicating land and zoning for rehabilitation and new developments may arise driven by social, economic and political influences.

Local governance and coordination between the multiple agencies involved would require active responsiveness at each stage to prevent such instances, which may lead to delays, hurdles and increased project costs.

The Adani Group is well known for its large-scale projects and engagements in multiple sectors of our economy.

The organisation is well equipped with the resources, capital and experience to handle the complexities of such a large-scale redevelopment, bringing out the best of Dharavi.

The success of this development will initiate new potential and inspiration for various large-scale urban renewal projects in India.