A view of Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, in Mumbai, India, August 1, 2023. Dharavi operates as more than a slum—it functions as a hub for various small-scale industries across Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: NIHARIKA KULKARNI/REUTERS
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ office announced on May 28 that the State government had accepted the Dharavi master plan. S.V.R. Srinivas, Chief Executive Officer of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, presented the plan to Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and other senior officials. After the meeting, Fadnavis’ office issued a statement: “Dharavi should be redeveloped in an environment-friendly and integrated manner. The commercial turnover in Dharavi is the most important part, and every native resident of this place should be given a house.”
The master plan comes from Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL), the corporate offspring of what was once Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Limited (DRPPL). The DRPPL, a special purpose vehicle (SPV), is a joint venture between the State government’s Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and Adani Properties Private Limited (APPL), with Adani holding 80 per cent and SRA the remaining 20 per cent.
The numbers tell their own story. The master plan calls for 58,532 residential and 13,468 commercial and industrial units to house eligible tenants within Dharavi’s existing boundaries. These figures represent the SPV’s initial tenant estimates. The project spans 251.24 hectares of Dharavi’s Notified Area. Of this, 108.99 hectares will be redeveloped; the rest is reserved for infrastructure and public services.
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Within those 108.99 hectares, Dharavi’s eligible residents will occupy 56.01 per cent of the land. The remaining 43.99 per cent will serve commercial and sale purposes. The SPV conducted its survey after winning the tender. The master plan requires 72,000 constructions across 47.20 hectares—a mix of residential and commercial units. Under SPV rules, only ground floor structures qualify for rehabilitation.
The official tally breaks down to 49,832 residential rehabilitation units for eligible slum dwellers, 8,700 renewal units for residents with valid tenure, 12,548 commercial and industrial units for small-scale industries, and 1,010 commercial renewal units. Of the usable 108.99 hectares, 47.20 hectares will house rehabilitated Dharavi tenants, 10.88 hectares will accommodate additional facilities like museums and community centres, 2.96 hectares are designated for utilities, and the remaining 47.95 hectares will be developed by NMDPL for market sale.
More than just a slum
Dharavi operates as more than a slum—it functions as a hub for various small-scale industries across Mumbai. The master plan acknowledges this with a proposal for five industrial clusters: garment, pottery, leather, food, and recycling. All clusters will be placed within the rehabilitated area.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray interacts with Dharavi residents at his residence “Matoshree” in Mumbai on May 25, 2025. For the Shiv Sena (UBT), the BMC elections later this year will be a battle for political survival.
| Photo Credit:
Vijay Gohil/ANI
The plan faces resistance from opposition parties and Dharavi’s resident unions. Rajendra Korde, president of the Dharavi Redevelopment Samiti, poses sharp questions: “There are one lakh ground floor structures in Dharavi which are eligible for rehabilitation. More to that, there are 1.5 to 2 lakh tenants on first or second floor. If the master plan is for only 72,000 tenants in Dharavi, then what about others? Where will the remaining 30,000 tenants go? And what about those 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh residents whose bread and butter depends on industrial activities in Dharavi?”
Korde presses further on the survey itself: “Has the survey of tenants been completed? If it is yet to be completed then how come the master plan is approved by the government?”
The geography tells another story. Dharavi sits just 5.5 kilometres from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai’s business headquarters for multinational companies and hub for diamond and financial markets. Residents suspect they will be relocated elsewhere in Mumbai to make Dharavi an annex to BKC.
“Lakhs of people will be forcefully pushed out of Dharavi. And in return, Adani (80 per cent stakeholder of NMDPL) will get 14 crore sq ft buildable area. Almost six times more than Dharavi’s total area.”Varsha GaikwadMP and Mumbai Congress chief
Advocate Sagar Deore, who fights for Dharavi residents against relocation, sees the master plan as a push to extend Mumbai city at Dharavi’s expense. “Apart from Dharavi, the State government is giving 1,200 acres of land to NMDPL as part of rehabilitation. These 1,200 acres stretch from Malad in western Mumbai to Mulund in eastern Mumbai to Deonar in Harbour Mumbai. Dharavi is a locality of hard-working people. They will be unsettled to make place for rich and mighty.”
Impact on BMC elections
Member of Parliament and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad calls the master plan “a loot of Mumbai’s valuable land”. Her calculation is stark: “Only 70,000 units will be rehabilitated in Dharavi as per the master plan. They are not even 50 per cent of the total tenants of Dharavi. Lakhs of people will be forcefully pushed out of Dharavi. And in return, Adani (80 per cent stakeholder of NMDPL) will get 14 crore square feet of buildable area. Almost six times more than Dharavi’s total area. The profit of this would be more than Rs.1 lakh crore.” She announced her party would intensify protests against the redevelopment.
Deore, who recently joined the Shiv Sena (UBT), plans a sustained campaign. “From June 1 to July 31, we will launch multiple protests throughout the city, making people aware of the loot plan of the State government. Also, in the first week of August, there will be a massive rally against the project in Mumbai.”
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Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who directly handles Urban Development and Housing (SRA falls under Housing), could not be reached for comment on the planned protests.
Elections for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be held later this year. Asia’s richest civic body holds great importance in State politics. The Shiv Sena (UBT), struggling for political survival, will fight this battle with particular intensity. For the BJP, the BMC represents the last big prize to win in Maharashtra. The issue of Dharavi and tenant rehabilitation across Mumbai has the capacity to determine the battle’s outcome.
Source:https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/dharavi-redevelopment-mumbai-adani-rehabilitation-bmc-elections/article69641216.ece