Maharashtra Cabinet has approved amendments to the terms governing the transfer of a key 8.5-hectare government-owned plot in Kurla. The land, previously home to the now-defunct state-run Mother Dairy unit, will be repurposed to construct rehabilitation tenements for ineligible residents displaced from Dharavi.
The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has aligned the revised transfer agreement with the current Housing and Urban Development Department’s policy. The decision is seen as a critical enabler for the DRP’s execution, which aims to reshape one of Asia’s largest informal settlements into a modern, inclusive urban precinct.
The Kurla land parcel, spread across 21 acres, was officially transferred through a government resolution dated 14 June 2024. It will now be placed under the jurisdiction of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project-Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP-SRA), the designated planning agency responsible for driving implementation. The move follows recent groundwork by Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL)—the project’s special purpose vehicle—seeking environmental clearance to begin construction on the site, which includes a dense green cover requiring clearance by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
With Dharavi’s transformation poised to impact approximately 8.5 lakh residents, project officials estimate that around five lakh eligible families will be resettled within the 620-acre Dharavi footprint. However, the remaining 3.5 lakh ineligible or displaced individuals—those who fall outside the eligibility cut-off date or lack documentary proof—must be accommodated elsewhere.The Kurla plot is one of five identified across Mumbai and its extended peripheries for this purpose, collectively measuring 540 acres. These will house displaced families on a rental basis. The rehabilitation also includes 118.4 acres within Dharavi earmarked for in-situ construction, civic infrastructure, and commercial redevelopment, ensuring that relocated families are integrated into viable urban communities rather than pushed to the margins.
The Cabinet’s amendment clears a long-standing bottleneck that had delayed progress on initial relocation. Officials say the move is in step with the state’s broader “Housing for All” mission, and that it enables a new urban model where housing, education, healthcare, and job access are interlinked. The Kurla site, once developed, will include not just residential units but also supporting amenities like schools, clinics, and shops—an attempt to foster liveable, mixed-use neighbourhoods even outside Dharavi’s original boundary.What remains under scrutiny, however, is the environmental impact of clearing green space for construction. The SEIAA review will be key in determining how many trees can be retained or relocated, and whether compensatory afforestation will be mandated.
The Dharavi redevelopment has long been positioned as a litmus test for socially responsible urban renewal. With the Kurla plot finally unlocked, the next few months are expected to set the tone for whether the project can strike a meaningful balance between growth and equity—offering a dignified life to millions once relegated to Mumbai’s informal economy and unsafe housing.
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