Dharavi Redevelopment Project Gets 125 Acres: Is It A Game-Changer For Upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Election?

In a move that has sparked both controversy and speculation ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, the state cabinet has allocated 125 acres of land from the Deonar dumping ground for rental housing.

This land will be used for those deemed ineligible for free housing under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), as reported by Hindustan Times (HT). The government has already granted substantial pieces of land, including 255 acres of salt pan land in Kanjurmarg and Mulund, 140 acres on Madh Island, and 21.25 acres from Kurla Dairy, bringing the total land allocated for the Adani-led DRP to 541.25 acres.

Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil confirmed to HT that DRP Pvt Ltd had requested the Deonar plot, and the state had approved it. Residents of Dharavi with ground-floor shanties, who built homes before January 1, 2000, are considered eligible for housing within Dharavi, while those declared ineligible will be housed in rental schemes at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh per tenement.

The state's decision to utilise the Deonar dumping ground followed opposition from residents and political leaders, particularly from the BJP, in areas such as Mulund, Kurla, Dahisar, and Bhakti Park. The plot, owned by the state's revenue department but in the possession of the BMC, had stopped being used for solid waste disposal. Out of the 326-acre Deonar site, 75 acres will remain with the BMC for activities such as waste-to-energy generation, while the rest will go towards the DRP's rental housing initiative.

With elections around the corner, critics argue that the timing of these land allocations is politically motivated. Mumbai Congress president and MP Varsha Gaikwad, a former Dharavi MLA, expressed strong opposition on social media platform X, accusing the government of selling off the city to private interests.

Gaikwad criticised the state for turning cabinet meetings into "land-gifting exercises" benefitting Adani, calling the redevelopment project a "betrayal of Mumbai." She also raised concerns about the environmental and public health risks associated with building on land that was previously used as a waste dumping ground.

Despite protests, the state continues to push forward with its plans. The opposition has raised concerns that these decisions, especially during an election year, could be seen as a strategy to gain political favour.