Dharavi residents may be resettled as per their jobs

After failing to attract builders to redevelop Dharavi, the government is now trying new ways to get slum dwellers involved in the redevelopment process. One such way, according to sources, is settling together people who belong to a particular profession. This could be a sub-cluster of the 12 clusters that the state has now decided to use for redeveloping Dharavi.

According to Hariram Dilliwala, general secretary, People’s Responsible Organisation of United Dharavi, community development officers (CDOs) from Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) visited him last week. Mr Dilliwala claims that the meeting involved discussions on plans to redevelop smaller clusters depending on people’s professions. “It is a good move. Even we are suggesting the same. Let people who are in one business be accommodated at one place.

I am also the general secretary of the plastic recyclers’ association and we have around 700 members. If we are all given homes and also allowed to work at one place, it would be a welcome move. That is what we discussed with the CDOs who came visiting us last week,” said Mr Dilliwala.

Dharavi was divided into five clusters by the government. While cluster V was given to Mhada for redevelopment, the government is looking to redevelop the other sectors with the help of private participation. However, in spite of four extensions to the tenders, no one came ahead with bids and the government had to scrap the tenders.

On January 30, 2016, the CEO of Dharavi Redevelopment Project had floated a global tender inviting bidders to redevelop the four sectors in Dharavi. The tender was worth Rs 21,936 crore.

Mr Sanjay Shinde, of Dharavi Nagrik Manch, also supported Mr Dilliwala’s claims. He said, “The potters’ community is also ready for redevelopment. If they are given a place for the whole community together, many will readily agree... This will work for everyone. We have also heard about such plans, but nothing has been brought to us in writing.”

Mr Shinde further said, “There was this plan of constructing an industrial hub, but nothing worked out. Most people in Dharavi want to have a place to work in and stay in together. So if the planning process is carried out based on professions, it would cater to a larger audience.”

A senior official from Dharavi Redevelopment Project confirmed that CDOs are being sent to discuss and understand what the residents there are looking for. However, when questioned further, he didn’t divulge any more details. “Currently, we are trying to understand what the residents of Dharavi want. People who have a large space for workshops are even being given the opportunity to buy extra space apart from what is permissible under SRA rules. This extra space can be bought paying the construction costs, which is not allowed in any other project related to slum redevelopment,” he said.