Dharavi Sector-6 set for rehab work as DRP seeks residents' support

DRP has asked Sector-6 residents in Dharavi to vacate tenements ahead of monsoon to enable timely rehabilitation construction, offering transit housing, rent support and modern homes

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) has issued a public notice seeking awareness and cooperation from residents of Sector-6 on Matunga railway land, a part of the Dharavi Notified Area (DNA), as it prepares to begin construction of rehabilitation buildings in the area. 

The appeal is specifically directed at residents of Ganesh Nagar-Meghwadi, SVP Nagar, Azad Nagar A and B, Azad Nagar C, and Kamala Raman Nagar, the areas that need to be vacated to build key-to-key rehabilitation facilities for Dharavi’s residents.

The DRP authorities have urged residents to start vacating their tenements before the onset of the monsoon or the beginning of the new academic year. 

Officials said timely cooperation will allow rehabilitation construction to begin without delays and help avoid inconvenience to people living in the surrounding areas. “Early vacating will enable multiple construction fronts to open up and ensure faster delivery of rehabilitation homes,” a DRP official said. 

According to the official, the railway land was brought under the DNA on the assumption that it would be available as vacant land where rehabilitation construction could begin. “Since the railway land also has slum dwellers, there is no alternative but to ask such residents to vacate so that construction can start. The focus is on ensuring a smooth and supported transition while fast-tracking the construction of modern rehabilitation homes,” he said. 

To support the transition, residents have been offered the option of moving into transit accommodation or shifting to rental housing. A one-time shifting allowance of ₹5,000 will be provided. Those opting for rental housing will receive rent support with a 5 per cent annual increase until they are allotted their permanent homes as per eligibility. 

The area will host 10 rehabilitation buildings to accommodate over 11,000 families who will get 350-square-foot homes in a planned township with modern amenities and business spaces under the in-situ rehabilitation plan for Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum. 

The gross area of DNA is about 251.24 hectares, including the area of excluded properties (79 hectares), while the area of DRP is 173.90 hectares, including the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) land. 

The total cost of the project is estimated to be ₹95,790 crore, according to the master plan of the project. 

Under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) guidelines, only ground-floor tenements are considered eligible for free housing. As per the project’s tender document, individuals with ground-floor residential structures built on or before January 1, 2000, will get homes of 350 square feet within Dharavi only, which is 17 per cent more than any other SRA project in Mumbai. 

DRP/SRA is a special body formed by the Maharashtra state government under the SRA. Navbharat Mega Developers (NMDPL) is the executing body for the DRP. The Adani Group has an 80 per cent stake in the NMDPL, while the remaining 20 per cent stake belongs to the state government.