The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, one of the world’s largest urban regeneration initiatives, is underway, and to help the public as well as residents from the slum cluster understand what is to come, the Dharavi Experience Centre has been inaugurated at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai.
Inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the centre uses audio and visual exhibits to showcase the thriving economy in the slums, the conditions that currently exist, and how not only the area but Mumbai will benefit from its transformation into a well-planned urban hub.
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The Dharavi Experience Centre recounts the history of Dharavi, from being one of the oldest Koliwadas, home to fishing communities, to the bustling mini India it is today. On November 29, 2022, the Maharashtra government announced that the Adani Group had made the winning bid for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, laying the foundation for the area’s leap into the future.
Snapshots at the centre show that there is one toilet for every 1,400 people and one tap shared by 100 people. And yet, industries thrive, from leather to pottery and garment manufacturing to recycling.
The project envisions more green spaces, a waterfront promenade, a multimodal transport hub, clean water, reliable electricity and a healthy life, which is impossible to come by in the cramped spaces the residents of the cluster call home.
A 350-square-foot show home in the centre depicts the future residences of people from Dharavi. Apart from the living area and a bedroom, there is a large kitchen and two toilets in every house.
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During the inauguration, Chief Minister Fadnavis said, “Dharavi is not just a slum, it is a major economic engine. A significant economy thrives here through Kumbharwada’s pottery industry, leather business, food processing, plastic recycling, and various micro, small, and medium enterprises. The redevelopment plan respects these industries and focuses on providing them with better, well-planned workspaces. This is an effort toward comprehensive urban transformation while preserving Dharavi’s existing social, cultural, and economic identity.”
The event was attended by Adani Group Managing Director Pranav Adani, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and Slum Rehabilitation Authority CEO Mahendra Kalyankar.
Dharavi Redevelopment Project CEO and SRA Secretary Vipin Paliwal and Anil Sardana, CEO of Adani Navbharat Developers Private Ltd, the special purpose vehicle executing the redevelopment, were also present.
(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)
