Dharavi Redevelopment: CM Devendra Fadnavis Inspects Sample Flats Of Rehabilitation Houses

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday inaugurated the Dharavi Experience Centre in Mumbai, giving residents an opportunity to get a closer look at the proposed redevelopment plan and the housing that is expected to be provided under the project.

The inauguration coincided with Gandhi Jayanti, which marks Mahatma Gandhi’s 157th birth anniversary. During the event, Fadnavis also unveiled an anthem dedicated to Dharavi and released a coffee table book documenting the area's history, businesses, culture and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The redevelopment is being implemented by the Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA), while its execution is assigned to Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited, a joint venture in which the Maharashtra government holds a 20% stake and the Adani Group holds 80%.

What the Dharavi experience centre offers

Spread over around 22,500 square feet, the Experience Centre has been designed as an interactive space where residents can visualise various aspects of the proposed transformation. CM Devendra Fadnavis inspected the sample flat of the rehabilitation houses being constructed for the residents under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project in Mumbai.

The facility includes life-size housing models, digital screens, interactive exhibits and a 3D walkthrough showcasing how the redeveloped neighbourhood could look. The displays cover proposed residential areas as well as workplaces, roads, public amenities, transport facilities and open spaces.

One of the main attractions is the life-size housing section, featuring furnished and unfurnished models of 350-square-foot and 500-square-foot homes. These models allow visitors to walk through the proposed layouts and understand how the available space could be utilised.

According to the official Dharavi redevelopment framework, eligible residential tenement holders are to receive 350 square feet of carpet area free of cost within the Dharavi Notified Area. Eligibility is being determined through the ongoing survey process and government-prescribed criteria.

Focus on homes and livelihoods

The proposed redevelopment seeks to retain Dharavi's distinctive live-work character, where homes and businesses have traditionally existed close to one another. The master plan envisages mixed-use neighbourhoods along with improved access to schools, healthcare facilities, community spaces and public transport.

The plan also includes parks and other open spaces, with the stated objective of creating more walkable neighbourhoods and improving access to social infrastructure.

A Multimodal Transport Hub is another proposed feature of the redevelopment, aimed at bringing different modes of transportation together and strengthening connectivity within Dharavi and the wider Mumbai region.

Dharavi redevelopment project

The Maharashtra government's Dharavi Redevelopment Project was conceived as an integrated redevelopment initiative aimed at creating a planned township while rehabilitating eligible residents. The official project website currently states that more than 99,000 homes have been numbered and over 91,000 homes surveyed as part of the redevelopment process.

The project also involves the rehabilitation of commercial establishments and the economic ecosystem that has developed in Dharavi over decades.

With the Experience Centre, residents can now view physical models and digital representations of the proposed redevelopment rather than relying only on plans and drawings to understand how the transformation could affect housing, workspaces and neighbourhood infrastructure.