Dharavi Redevelopment Project Comes Alive As Construction Work Begins — NDTV Network Exclusive

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, seen as a solid initiative to transform Asia's largest slump, has come alive as the construction work has begun on the railway land utilised for rehabilitation of residents.

The land parcel, based in Matunga and spanning across 40 acres, is part of the initial phase of the project. It will be used to resettle 15,000-20,000 persons displaced. NDTV Network exclusively reached on the construction site to gain insight on the progress made so far.

"Construction is underway and this is the first concrete step in redeveloping Dharavi. Here were are planning two things - redeveloping and reconstructing existing railway buildings and redeveloping a slum that exists here. At the same time we are also rehabilitating at least 15,000-20,000 people directly impacted by the project," SVR Srinivas, chief executive officer of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, told NDTV.

The construction at the Matunga land parcel kickstarts the ambitious project to improve the lives of over a million residents of Dharavi under the transformation redevelopment project.

The railway lands utilised for the project will ensure the prevention of large-scale displacement of Dharavi project beneficiaries, and will also offer upgraded housing units to railway employees. The residential quarters developed on these lands will provide improved infrastructure facilities.

Dharavi, at present, is Mumbai's densely populated region. The Adani Group, which had bagged the project to redevelop the slum, plans to convert Dharavi into a sprawling urban hub.

The survey initiated by the redevelopers in the Dharavi slum is close to completion, with 80% of it being completed. Around 70,000 households of the 90,000 identified units have been identified, as per the NDTV report. The surveyed housing units have been assigned a unique identification number.

The bid to redevelop what has often been touted as one of the world's biggest slums was won by the Adani Group in 2022 at a cost of Rs 5,069 crore.

Under the project, the Maharashtra government has decided to provide free housing to eligible residents of Dharavi. Additionally, the state government will offer affordable housing to ineligible residents under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or through a hire-purchase scheme.

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