Mumbai: The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has clarified that only eligible slumdwellers will be provided free housing within Dharavi, while those deemed ineligible will be relocated to rental housing outside the Dharavi notified area.
This clarification was made in response to an RTI application filed by Mulund resident and activist Sagar Devre. The RTI application sought detailed information about the relocation plans for ineligible Dharavi residents. The SRA’s response indicated that efforts are underway to identify vacant government land for constructing rental housing for these ineligible residents. “Once these are made available, rental housing will be built on those lands and the ineligible residents will be rehabilitated there,” the response stated.
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), a special purpose vehicle overseeing the redevelopment of the Dharavi Notified Area (DNA), has initiated a comprehensive survey to identify eligible and ineligible residents. This survey is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Sources within DRPPL disclosed that only residents eligible for free housing—those with residency claims dating back to January 1, 2000—will be accommodated within Dharavi. Residents eligible for paid housing, under a state policy cut-off date of January 1, 2011, will need to pay Rs 2.5 lakh as construction cost to secure a house. Those who do not meet these criteria will be relocated to rental housing outside the DNA. The government plans to offer these rental homes as ownership properties after ten years for a nominal fee.
Additionally, the government will permit residents to apply for ownership after two years of renting by making a one-time payment covering the balance rent for the remaining ten years. However, the government has yet to establish clear criteria for determining ineligibility. The proposed relocation to Mulund has sparked protests among local residents. The state housing department’s plan to use the 46-acre Mulund dumping ground and the 18-acre octroi naka land for Dharavi’s ineligible residents has been met with resistance from the Mulund community. As the redevelopment progresses, the DRPPL’s commitment to following these guidelines remains under scrutiny, particularly given the challenges posed by the need to balance urban development with social equity and community concerns.
