Dharavi Redevelopment: Controversies and Support Amid Mumbai’s Urban Overhaul

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut criticizes the Dharavi redevelopment project as a scheme to benefit the Adani group, accusing the Eknath Shinde government of selling Mumbai. However, a local residents' association supports the ongoing survey crucial for the $3-billion project aimed at transforming Mumbai's densest slum area.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut fiercely criticized the Dharavi redevelopment project on Sunday, describing it as a ''scheme to loot'' intended to benefit the Adani Group. He accused the Eknath Shinde administration of attempting to ''sell Mumbai'' to the industrial conglomerate.

Raut emphasized that implementing the project correctly was vital for Dharavi, which is among the world's densest urban sprawls, spanning 590 acres predominantly covered by shanties. ''This is not just a project; it's a scheme to loot. We will not let Mumbai be swallowed by the Adani Group,'' Raut told reporters, stressing Shiv Sena (UBT)'s commitment to providing 500 square feet houses for Dharavi's slum residents.

Despite the controversy, a newly formed local association has endorsed the ongoing state government survey of informal tenements, an essential step toward initiating the $3-billion redevelopment project led by the Adani Group. The survey, which started on March 18, 2024, has completed evaluations of 10,000 of 21,000 tenements, marking significant progress in the extensive seven-year endeavor to revitalize Dharavi.

(With inputs from agencies.)