No need for slum-dwellers' consent in Dharavi redevelopment project: CEO

Over 50 per cent of Dharavi residents in Mumbai have already consented, but CEO SVR Srinivas says consent isn't required as the developer was appointed by the state government

Despite persistent resistance from a section of Dharavi residents to the redevelopment project, more than half of the slum’s dwellers have given their consent to the redevelopment plan, according to SVR Srinivas, chief executive officer of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. However, he clarified that such consent was not mandatory under the current framework, since the project developer was appointed directly by the state government.

 

“Under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority [SRA] rules, the building society appoints the developer. For that, 50 per cent consent is required. But here, the govt has appointed the developer. In this case, there is no need for consent,” Srinivas told The Times of India.

 

The Dharavi redevelopment is being spearheaded by Nav Bharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in which the Adani Group holds an 80 per cent stake, with the Maharashtra government retaining the remaining 20 per cent. The land in question is publicly owned, held by the state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

 

How is eligibility for rehab determined?

 

Srinivas said nearly 100,000 residents had already taken part in the house-to-house survey being conducted to determine eligibility for rehabilitation. With just 20,000 households left to be surveyed, he noted that even by conventional parameters, the 50 per cent threshold had already been crossed.

 

Srinivas emphasised that participation in the survey equates to consent. “They have given their documents voluntarily. There is a line in the survey which says they are willing to participate in the redevelopment. So, when they sign, it is consent,” he was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

 

Despite consent not being a statutory requirement, Srinivas said the government had made several efforts to involve the residents. “We don’t want to ride roughshod on anybody. We have already given four opportunities. We put it in the newspaper and then we also put it on their doors,” he added. 

 

What concerns surround the land allocation?

 

The scale of the project is massive, requiring an estimated 500,000 eligible tenements to be given free housing within Dharavi, while another 500,000 ineligible tenements will be relocated to rental housing outside the area.

 

However, the allocation of 541 acres of land across Mumbai for rental housing and the free-sale component to the Adani-led SPV has drawn criticism from opposition leaders. Many have labelled the redevelopment as a “land-grab” that could potentially open up prime real estate for private profit.

 

The 541 acres earmarked for this purpose include locations such as Deonar, Kurla, Aksa, Malvani, and salt pan lands in Bhandup, Mulund, and Kanjurmarg. So far, only 63.5 acres — in Kurla and Mulund — have been handed over.

 

What explains the land allocation delays? 

Addressing these concerns, Srinivas clarified that the land meant for rental housing is in the possession of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and not with the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). 

 

“The problem is that there is a shortage of land in Mumbai. We had written to many different agencies including from the central government for these lands. In some cases, there were rejections. So, we did not know which lands would come and we started applying to different places,” he said. 

 

What happens to unused land parcels?

 

“Now these lands are coming but they will be with the DRP. Unless people are rehabilitated, the land will not be given to the SPV,” he further stated, adding that rental units would be constructed in phases. If the entire 541 acres isn’t used, the remainder will revert to the government.

 

“Our mandate is limited to Dharavi. The land that is not used, will revert to the govt,” Srinivas said.

 

When asked how planning was done despite the ongoing survey, he said that the project relied on a combination of a drone survey, LIDAR survey, and now, the physical house-to-house verification. “Based on these three, we did a comparison and an extrapolation of data, which is how it works. In projects of this size, some things can go on simultaneously,” he said.