Dharavi rehabilitation: ‘We are not against Dharavi residents’

Why exactly is there opposition to the rehabilitation of projectaffected persons PAPs from Dharavi in other neighbourhoods Is it rooted in social stigma with residents of areas like Mulund Malad and Kurla hesitant about integrating people from Dharavi due to perceptions of slum life Or are the concerns tied to the planning and execution of the rehabilitation processBackgroundIn 2022 as part of the Dharavi cluster redevelopment project Gautam Adaniled Adani Realty won the tender for the 259hectare R20000crore project to transform the hub into a ldquoworldclass townshiprdquo A special purpose vehicle SPV Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd DRPPL was formed in collaboration with the state governmentrsquos Dharavi Redevelopment Project Authority under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority SRAMore than 58 acres of salt pan land in Mulund have been freed up PicSAYYED SAMEER ABEDIAs the project began several issues arose Structures built after 2000 were deemed ineligible for rehabilitation Many feared losing their ecosystem or being uprooted while those eligible welcomed the change Those declared ineligible are being shifted to areas such as Kurla Mulund Deonar and Malad as well as 2559 acres of ecologically fragile salt pan land This has led to citywide protestsmdashnot against the people of Dharavi but over displacement environmental hazards and potential additional strain on civic infrastructure elsewhereKurla residentsrsquo misgivingsIn Kurla the contention is over a 104hectare piece of land previously used by a governmentrun milk dairy at Nehru Nagar The land strategically located along the SantacruzChembur Link Road LTT Kurla Terminus Mumbai Metro Yellow Line 2B and the Harbour Line was lying unused for nearly a decadeInitially earmarked by the MMRDA for infrastructure financing the land was later designated for rehabilitating Dharavi slum dwellers A Government Resolution GR issued on June 10 emphasised the public importance of the project offering the land at a 25 per cent discount below the readyreckoner ratemidday has been reporting since February about the issue Residents launched a citizen movement called lsquoLok Chalwalrsquo to reserve the plot for a garden and recreation ground citing the need for greenery and open spaces in KurlaldquoWe donrsquot have an issue with Dharavi residents In fact they donrsquot want to move here they prefer insitu rehabilitation Our fight is to save the green plotrdquo said Kiran Pailwan who is leading the protest ldquoThere are 800ndash900 trees on the land If this project proceeds wersquoll lose the green cover and face a 25ndash30 per cent rise in populationrdquo he addedDharavi MLA Jyoti Gaikwad echoed these concerns ldquoThis is not redevelopment for Dharavi residents but for the builder Dharavi is 600 acres yet 1500 acres of prime land across Mumbai are being handed over Itrsquos a land grab They want people of Dharavi to move to places like Deonar dumping ground where people are already ill due to bad environmentrdquo she saidMulund protestsIn Mulund East several rehabilitation projects are stirring opposition One involves allocating 64 acres of land near the old Octroi Naka 46 acres at an old dumping ground and 7439 tenements near Kelkar College for PAPs across Mumbai ldquoWe are not against Dharavi residents but Mulundrsquos civic infrastructure cannot bear such a loadrdquo said Sagar Devre convenor of the protestldquoWhen we raised the issue during elections we were accused of politicising the issue So we sat quietly But now that the elections are over should we talk about the issue The PAP project is being completed before our eyes Our elected representatives have failed us They are lying blatantly On October 4 2024 the government issued a GR It confirmed that this Dharavi rehabilitation will take place on the sites of our salt pans in Mulund Bhandup and Vikhroli This GR is available on the government website I just have one simple question for our lying elected representatives Has the GR of 4 October 2024 been cancelledrdquo Devre questionedResident activist Chetan Bordawekar added ldquoMulund East with 15 lakh residents is already struggling with crumbling infrastructure Adding 35 lakh more people will collapse it entirelyrdquoldquoAdditional load of PAPs will choke our utility lines and will add to the load on public transport We are struggling to understand why so much land is required outside of Dharavi to rehabilitate its residents Both Dharavi residents and Mulund East residents are opposed to the relocationrdquo Bharat Soni secretary Hillside Residents Welfare Association HIRWA saidMalad lsquofightrsquoIn Malad fisherfolk and locals from Aksa and Bhati villages are resisting the relocation of Dharavi residents to their lands A November 7 survey by state officials was met with strong opposition requiring police intervention Local MLA Aslam Shaikh said ldquoThis move disrupts the fabric of both Malad and Dharavi Dharavi residents should be resettled where they belongrdquo ldquoI stand with my community and have been strongly opposing any project that undermines their rights I challenge BJP leader Ashish Shelar to allow Dharavi residents to settle in Bandrardquo Shaikh addedThe area has been traditionally populated by the fishermenrsquos community with local groups such as Bhati Fishermen Sarvodaya Society Aadivasi Ekata Samajik Sanstha and Madh Fishermen Society officially writing to the government expressing their reservations ldquoThe fight is not against Dharavi or slums but the shifting of outside residents in such large numbers will strain the existing infrastructure and even destabilise the locals who have been living here for agesrdquo a local fisherman saidDeonar situationThe Deonar dumping ground spanning 1243 acres is also earmarked for housing eligible and ineligible Dharavi residents The land will be given to eligible and ineligible residents of Dharavi at a possession rate of 25 per cent of the prevailing market rate However this area contains nearly 80 lakh metric tonnes of waste making up nearly 40 per cent of the total waste requiring at least six to seven years and R1000 crore for clearanceResidents and politicians argue against the relocation Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad said ldquoItrsquos unethical to shift people to hazardous areas Dharavi residents should stay in Dharavirdquo A local resident summarised the issue ldquoDeonar residents want to leave due to toxic air and health hazards Adding more people here is inhumanerdquoVoicesSagar Devre convenor of the protestlsquoWe are not against Dharavi residents but Mulundrsquos civic infrastructure cannot bear such a loadrsquoBharat Soni secretary HIRWAWe are struggling to understand why so much land is required outside of Dharavi to rehabilitate its residents Both Dharavi residents and Mulund East residents are opposed to the relocationrsquoVarsha Gaikwad Congress MPlsquoItrsquos unethical to shift people to hazardous areas Dharavi residents should stay in DharavirsquoChetan Bordawekar residentactivistlsquoMulund East with 15 lakh residents is already struggling with crumbling infrastructure Adding 35 lakh more people will collapse it entirelyrsquoAslam Shaikh Malad MLAlsquoI stand with my community and have been strongly opposing any project that undermines their rights I challenge BJP leader Ashish Shelar to allow Dharavi residents to settle in BandrarsquoJyoti Gaikwad Dharavi MLAlsquoThis is not redevelopment for Dharavi residents but for the builder Dharavi is 600 acres in area yet 1500 acres of prime land across Mumbai are being handed over Itrsquos a land grabrsquo