Watch | All about the Dharavi Redevelopment Project

A video explainer on the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, that is set to revamp one of Asia’s biggest cluster of slums.

Dharavi, in the heart of Mumbai, is Asia’s largest slum. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Dharavi is home to close to 58,000 families and around 12,000 commercial establishments.

Over the course of 18 years, successive governments in Maharashtra have talked about revamping Dharavi. On October 18, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Maharashtra’s deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis signed a ‘definitive agreement’ for this purpose.

Under this, over 47.5 acres of Railway land in Dadar, in central Mumbai, has been handed over for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

How many in Mumbai live in slums?

As per the Slum Rehabilitation Authority scheme, 48.35% of Mumbai’s population live in slums. Out of Mumbai’s total area, about 24% is occupied by slums. According to a survey, there are just under 50,000 slum dwellers and close to 10,000 renewal tenements in chawls in Dharavi. Out of more than 600 acres of Dharavi, the project would cover roughly 240 hectares.

What does the project entail?

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority and the lead bidder will form a special purpose vehicle. A special purpose vehicle is an entity formed for a specific purpose of infrastructure and rehabilitation. It will work alongside the Dharavi Redevelopment Authority to execute Phase 1 of the project. This includes redevelopment of specific areas comprising slum and non-slum sections, buildings and chawls.