Under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) guidelines, only ground floor tenements are typically considered eligible for free housing. (Express Archive/Dilip Kagda)The Dharavi Redevelopment Project has so far surveyed 63000 tenements surpassing the scope of the last survey (Mashal) done in 2007-08 to map and document Dharavi’s residential and commercial structures. The present survey has gone beyond the earlier benchmark of approximately 60,000 ground-floor tenements and is being conducted to find out those eligible for free housing in the redevelopment process.
Under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) guidelines, only ground floor tenements are typically considered eligible for free housing. “Our survey has crossed an important and crucial milestone, one that the government can look back on with pride. This redevelopment scheme is not limited to ground-floor tenements but also covers upper-floor structures. It shows that the government is committed to ensuring housing for all. No one in Dharavi will be left behind,” said DRP CEO, SVR Srinivas.
According to the latest survey figures, lane recce has been completed for more than 95,000 tenements, more than 89,000 tenements have been numbered, and door-to-door surveys have been completed for more than 63,000 tenements. Unlike the earlier survey, the present survey includes ground floor and upper floor structures, existing SRA buildings, slum dwellers on RLDA land, as well as religious structures.
“We urge everyone to participate at the earliest so that the next stages of the redevelopment can begin. Those residents who have missed the survey must volunteer for it quickly. We may not be revisiting tenements whose residents have either refused to participate or have not shared their documents despite repeated requests and attempts for survey,” Srinivas added.
The Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to carry out the project, is preparing to construct nearly 1.5 lakh tenements as most hutments have grown vertically to G+2 levels. Commenting on the progress, an NMDPL spokesperson said, “We are pleased to be nearing the end of the survey and encourage any resident who hasn’t been covered yet to come forward as soon as possible.”
All eligible Dharavi residents will be rehabilitated within Dharavi itself. Those found ineligible will be relocated to modern townships outside Dharavi with holistic amenities and modern infrastructure. These new townships will be located within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and will be equipped with social and public infrastructure, including Metro connectivity and other mobility solutions.