Dharavi Tenement Hope: Upper-Floor Residents Brought into Redevelopment Plan

Mumbai, Maharashtra: In a significant move, the Maharashtra government has started extending the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) to include upper-floor tenement residents previously considered ineligible under Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) norms.

As per a Government Resolution (GR) dated October 4, 2024, residents living on upper floors of slum buildings as of November 15, 2022, will now be eligible for 300 sq ft houses within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) under a hire-purchase scheme. These homes will be offered at nominal rates, payable in 12-year instalments or through a lump-sum payment option.

Contrary to fears of forced affidavits, the Dharavi Redevelopment SPV NMDPL clarified that affidavits are just one among several valid documents for establishing occupation. Other accepted proofs include electricity bills, Aadhaar cards, ration cards, registered agreements, or affidavits verified by ground-floor residents.

This unprecedented outreach marks the first time in SRA history that upper-floor dwellers are being formally recognized for rehabilitation. The clarification comes amidst rising concerns that some ground-floor residents were being pressured into disqualifying their upstairs neighbors.

Meanwhile, the survey work under DRP is progressing swiftly:

• 1 lakh buildings surveyed physically
  

• 94,500+ assigned unique IDs
  

• 88,000 buildings scanned via LiDAR
  

• 70,000+ tenement household surveys completed
  

This inclusive step aims to strengthen transparency, fairness, and trust in one of Asia’s largest urban redevelopment projects.