Blueprint for a new Dharavi

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: The Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s (SRA) tender inviting bids for the ‘Redevelopment of Dharavi’ project which began on June 1, 2007, has drawn a huge response. Leading international developers from 40 cities across the world including the US-based Hynes, Far East-based Capitaland, Ascendas, Ayala, the UAE-based Emaar, Nakheel and Limitless have started lobbying strongly with local developers such as Hiranandani Constructions, Rahejas, Kalpataru, Lokhandwala Infrastructure, Akruti Nirman to form joint ventures for bidding jointly. By July 15, 2007, international developers will submit their JV patterns to SRA, followed by the final bidding process by July-end 2007.

The key question is: will these international builders in association with local developers be successful in bringing about necessary redevelopment within Dharavi (where 55% of its residents live in the squalid slums and over 57,000 families are squeezed into an area of 535 acres) necessitating structural changes at the entry and exit levels of Dharavi.

According to Ghulam Zia, National Director of Research and Advisory Services, Knight Frank, “Builders will have to plan and develop high-rise buildings within the periphery of Dharavi in a manner that should enhance the value of the real estate property on the outskirts of the Dharavi also. Otherwise, the redevelopment of the Dharavi project will place a burden on existing infrastructure such as railways, water supply, sewage treatment at the entry and exit points.”

Under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, all the eligible slum dwellers whose names are incorporated in the electoral roll of 1995 and whose structures are existing on site will be rehabilitated free of cost in a self contained pucca tenement with a carpet area of 225 sq ft through the developers to be appointed by the government of Maharashtra. Besides, additional amenities like school, an ITI, colleges, municipal hospitals, police stations and post office will be developed and these facilities will be available to slum dwellers.

Iqbal Chahal, the chief executive officer of Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) who has been recently appointed as vice president and chief executive officer for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project told FE, “For this, the quantum of amenity requirements is now increased to 10% from the earlier limit of 5%.”