First five Dharavi redevelopment towers expected to be ready for possession by March 2029

The first phase of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project is moving towards a key milestone. Residents of the first five buildings are expected to get possession of their homes by March 2029.

According to a senior official of the Dharavi Redevelopment Authority (DRA), the first phase will have 10 residential towers. Each tower will have 37 to 39 floors. The buildings will have a total of 10,432 residential units and 1,379 non-residential units.

Possession of the first five towers is to be given by March 2029, while all 10 buildings are expected to be handed over by August 2030. In the initial phase, residents of Sectors 1 and 5 will be rehabilitated.

The overall redevelopment plan envisages about 1.5 lakh units. These include residential, commercial, industrial and amenity space, along with facilities such as healthcare centres and childcare centres. The full master plan is expected to be released in the first week of December. About 91,000 homes have already been surveyed under the project.

The 350 sq ft homes will have two toilets each. A sample 350 sq ft rehabilitation flat will soon be ready at the Dharavi Experience Centre for residents to view.

A distinctive feature of the proposed homes is that every flat will have two toilets. The original design had only one. After discussions among senior officials, the plan was changed with families of eight to 10 members in mind, and a second toilet was added. This is estimated to raise the construction cost of each flat by about Rs 1.5 lakh.

The authority will also oversee maintenance of the buildings for the first 10 years. After that, the maintenance fund will be raised from income from the sale or rental of 10 per cent of the commercial units given in each building. The arrangement is meant to help cooperative housing societies run the buildings on their own in the long term.

The project is expected to bring considerable change to Dharavi's residential, commercial and industrial landscape. The first phase will mark the start of the large-scale rehabilitation process.