Residents of Mulund, Kurla, Dharavi, and other areas of the city affected by the Dharavi redevelopment scheme and the proposed Project Affected Persons (PAP) colony in Mulund, have announced the creation of a united group to demand clarity on the project. The group, Mumbai Bachao Samiti, has said that they will organise a rally of citizens from these areas if the government does not provide answers on the project during the current assembly session.
The formation of the association was announced at a meeting on Saturday in Mulund where residents have been opposing a PAP colony for 7500 families that is being built in the area. Apart from housing families displaced by development projects across the city, the colony is also proposed to accommodate families from Dharavi who are not eligible for homes there. Mulund residents have said that the area's infrastructure will not be able to cope with the influx of new residents.
However, many Dharavi residents do not want to move out of the area as it can affect their livelihood. Adding to the complexity of the situation, there are plans to use land belonging to a defunct dairy in Kurla to rehouse other Dharavi evacuees. This has been opposed by Kurla residents who want the dairy land to be converted into a recreational space.
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Sagar Devre, a resident of Mulund (East) and a member of Mumbai Bachao Samiti, said that they had been opposing the PAP colony since October 2023. "In January we came to know that the government is planning to bring Dharavi residents to Mulund. Why is the government bringing people from Dharavi to Mulund against their wishes?" asked Devre.
The group said they will meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during the current session of the state assembly. "If they do not give us a positive reply we will organise a morcha of Bhandup, Mulund, Kurla, and Dharavi residents to Mantralaya (government headquarters),” said Devre.
The residents are seeking clarity on the number of people affected by the Dharavi project. While some wild estimates say there are a million people, a count in 2008 found 80,000 families. Another survey is currently in progress. Devre said that there is no clarity on the number of families eligible to get free and subsidised housing.
The Dharavi project is being implemented by the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd, a joint venture between the Adani group and the government. In an earlier statement, DRPPL had said that GRs and tenders spells out eligibility for in-situ rehabilitation only for tenements in existence before January 1, 2000. While these residents will get free houses, those on higher floors, up to January 1, 2011, will get homes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for Rs. 2.5 lakhs, or rental housing. Tenements which came into existence between January 1, 2011 and date to be announced by the government will get homes under the proposed affordable rental home policy with an option of hire-purchase. DRPPL had also said that the land will be given to DRP and not Adani or DRPPL.
