Dharavi redevelopment: Rehabilitation survey hits 50,000-mark in Mumbai’s biggest slum

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) has completed over 50,000 door-to-door surveys — marking the largest slum rehabilitation survey in Mumbai’s history. This milestone, achieved on February 12, is a major step in identifying eligible residents for rehabilitation.

“This is a record milestone for Mumbai SRA. This progress is a big boost for the survey teams and Dharavi residents, who are eager for the redevelopment to move forward. Their active participation shows their commitment to Asia’s largest slum rehabilitation survey,” a DRP official told PTI.

The survey is a critical step in determining eligibility for housing under the massive redevelopment initiative. With numbering completed for 85,000 tenements and door-to-door surveys covering over 50,000, the project is gaining momentum.

“If you fully consider the complexity, precision, and logistical challenges of mapping Asia’s largest slum, with its dense and diverse population, this is a significant achievement,” the DRP official added.

Dharavi, home to nearly a million people, is set to undergo India’s largest slum rehabilitation effort, aiming to transform it into a modern urban hub. Around 1.5 lakh tenements will be rehabilitated, ensuring better housing, infrastructure, and economic opportunities while preserving the community’s dignity.

“After multiple failed attempts in the past decades, Dharavi’s redevelopment has finally taken off. Once completed, this project will set a global benchmark for human-centric slum redevelopment. This milestone shows that we are committed to moving forward with benchmark facilities,” a spokesperson from Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd (NMDPL), the Adani Group-backed agency leading the redevelopment, told PTI.

NMDPL is a special purpose vehicle formed between the Government of Maharashtra — through the DRP/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) — and the Adani Group.

A previous survey conducted by Mashal in 2007-08 had identified around 60,000 eligible tenements in Dharavi. However, given that most structures have expanded to G+2 levels, the number of tenements requiring rehabilitation is now estimated at 1.5 lakh, according to a PTI report.

“Even upper floor structures are covered under the provisions of the current tender. We are proud to be part of the government’s home-for-all policy,” the NMDPL spokesperson told PTI.

Under the project’s terms, eligible residents will be rehabilitated within Dharavi, while ineligible residents will be relocated to modern townships in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) with holistic amenities. Unlike conventional slum rehabilitation, these townships will not be congested high-rises but well-planned communities featuring wide roads, green spaces, and proper water and sewage systems.

“The townships will include schools, healthcare facilities, playgrounds, community centers, and shopping complexes. This redevelopment will not only improve the lives of relocated Dharavikars but also enhance infrastructure and living conditions for the larger Mumbai community,” the spokesperson added.