Work begins on 10 rehabilitation towers at Matunga for eligible Dharavi residents, 10,432 homes planned

The Dharavi redevelopment project in Mumbai has reached an important milestone. Construction of rehabilitation buildings has begun on 22 acres of railway land in Matunga to provide permanent homes to eligible Dharavi residents. Pranav Adani, director of Adani Enterprises Limited, performed the bhoomipujan of the project on October 12.

A total of 10 buildings will come up here, with 10,432 rehabilitation flats and 1,379 commercial and industrial units. This is being seen as a major step in the rehabilitation of eligible Dharavi residents.

The buildings will be constructed by Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited, the special purpose company for the Dharavi redevelopment project. Under the rehabilitation plan, eligible residents are to be given 350 sq ft homes.

Each building will have 37 to 39 floors. For residents, each building will have 10 to 12 passenger lifts and 2 separate fire lifts. Two separate lifts are also proposed for the commercial and industrial units.

The project will not only build homes. Facilities such as a kindergarten, community halls, podium gardens, seating areas, society offices and places of worship will also be part of it.

A plan is also in place on who gets homes first. The Matunga homes are to be given first to eligible residents of Sector 6 and Sector 1. After that, about 4,500 flats will be made available to the remaining eligible residents of Dharavi in order of priority.

Asim Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary in the Maharashtra government's Urban Development Department, was the chief guest at the bhoomipujan ceremony. Dr Mahendra Kalyankar, chief executive officer of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, was also present.

Once the 10 rehabilitation buildings at Matunga are completed, they will be handed over to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority in three phases. The first 5 buildings will be transferred in March 2029, the next 2 in August 2029 and the remaining 3 in August 2030.

After handover, Adani Navbharat Developers will maintain the buildings and the common infrastructure for the first 10 years. Ten per cent of the commercial space in every rehabilitation building will be set aside to generate income for maintaining the common facilities.

The wider redevelopment of Dharavi plans a mixed-use township with shops, schools, health facilities, gardens, places of worship and public transport. The aim is that essential services are available within a 15-minute walk.

Earlier, on October 2, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the Dharavi Experience Centre, built over 22,500 sq ft. It showcases the proposed redevelopment through sample flats, a 3D walkthrough and interactive displays.

With construction now starting at Matunga, attention turns to the actual implementation of the project. Giving eligible residents homes within the set timeline and providing the essential facilities will be key to its success.