Why all eyes are on Dharavi

From documentary film-makers to globetrotting journalists, real estate magnates to other cities with large slum colonies, it’s not without reason that all eyes are on Dharavi, whose...

From documentary film-makers to globetrotting journalists, real estate magnates to other cities with large slum colonies, it’s not without reason that all eyes are on Dharavi, whose long-overdue redevelopment was finally given the go-ahead on Wednesday.

For, at 223 hectare, the slum is as large as 10 Nariman Points. In a first, the state government will invite tenders from developers for a block-by-block renewal of Asia’s most prominent slum colony. “And, for the first time ever in a city with 60 per cent of its population in slums, the government will actually turn slum redevelopment into a source of revenue for the state’s coffers,” says Mukesh Mehta, the project management consultant.

Rehab Route

About 56,000 families are to be rehoused in 225-sq foot flats. Commercial and industrial unit owners get a 225-sq ft area free, but can buy excess area at cost price. There is a ceiling on how much extra space they can purchase — 10 per cent less than current unit for those occupying up to 1,000 sq feet, 20 per cent less than current unit for those occupying 1,000 to 1,500 sq feet and 30 per cent less than current unit for those occupying over 1,500 sq feet.

Money Spinner

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While officials are tightlipped on the minimum premium the government will demand per sq foot, the expected premium even by conservative estimates is Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. If the Dharavi model succeeds, replicating it could be a bonanza of several thousand crores for the revenue coffers, a government officer pointed out.

Also, Rs 1,800 crore worth of world-class amenities will be developed free for the city. This will include hospitals, schools, parks and fire stations. Already, one large plot has been earmarked for a branch of the National Institute of Design, to offer advice and direction to Dharavi’s leather and pottery industries. Another plot, nearly 12 acre large and reserved for a playground, could also be transformed into a sports club. It’s large enough to be a cricket stadium, said sources.

Global Expertise

On June 1, advertisements inviting expressions of interest will be published in newspapers in over a dozen cities including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Paris, London, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong. “We are particularly looking at developers with a track record in building huge townships with modern technology-speed and quality of construction for higher volumes, bringing the cost of construction down,” said Principal Secretary (Housing) Swadheen Kshatriya.

Safe, efficient transportation

An internal shuttle bus service is proposed to be developed within Dharavi, along with a ring road from Mahim junction, across the Estrella Batteries unit, along Central Railway to Mahim-Sion Road. While the original plan had been that winning developers would lay the roads, drains, sewers and cables in each of the five sectors, that plan is now being revised to ensure seamless integration across sectors.