'Only an Election Issue': Dharavi Reporters Tell Facts of Redevelopment Politics

Targeted by both pro & anti-redvelopment residents, 3 Dharavi reporters tell facts of redevelopment by Adani Group.

Maharashtra Elections Dharavi Redevelopment: As redevelopment by Adani group becomes biggest election issue for Mumbai, 3 Dharavi reporters tell facts & myths.

(Photo: Canva)

Video Editor: Kriti Saxena

"No matter what government it is, redevelopment has to happen. There are 7x8 feet houses where families live with 2-3 children. The kitchen, sleeping everything is in that much space. What is this life?" said Yunus Sheikh, a resident of Dharavi who was born in the slum clusters in 1970, and has been living there since.

About a decade ago, Sheikh and his family received a new accommodation in one of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects, a 350 sq feet apartment in Dharavi itself. The housing apartment he lives in was one of the several attempts at redeveloping Asia's largest slum over the years.

Throughout the conversation, Sheikh kept insisting on the drastic transformation that one's life goes through with mere basic facilities like uninterrupted supply of water and electricity.

Sheikh's perspective in endorsed by lakhs of families in Dharavi who have waited for years for better homes and facilities.

Women wash utensils outside their homes in Dharavi.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Adani Group, led by business tycoon Gautam Adani, is set to redevelop 300 acres of the slum cluster. As per details made publicly known so far, Dharavi will be transformed into not just better residences but a twonship with schools, hospitals, roads, community centres and open spaces. So, what could possibly be the opposition?

The issue is not as complex to understand as it looks, and Dharavi is not as easy to redevelop as it sounds. And with the Maharashtra Assembly elections due, the issue is the biggest poll plank of Opposition parties.

With thousands of different perspectives floating around, we spoke to three reporters who are born in Dharavi, have lived there all their lives and are reporting on issues of Dharavi — Afaque Ahmad, Aashiq Ali Syed, and Ishwar Tathawde.

'We All Want Development But...': What's The Problem?

The project is being driven by the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), a body that consists of members of the Adani Group and the Maharashtra government. So far, the DRP in the redeveloped township has promised

• 350 sq feet Residences to 'Eligible' Dharavikars with all amenities

• New hospitals and schools in Dharavi

• Business units and industrial zones within Dharavi for 'eligible' small scale industries

There are two primary problems with what's been promised so far: Survey and Eligibility.

What is the survey?

"They are conducting a survey of every house and establishment. A survey number is being put on all structures This is DRP, Sector 2, Zone 13. Similarly, establishments on upper floors will get a different number," Afaque said as he pointed to on a survey number pained in red on a general store.

Afaque Ahmad, a journalist from Dharavi, explains the survey number engraved on a shop.

(Photo: The Quint)

"After the survey is conducted, the eligibility will be decided. The list will be made and ineligible ones will be shifted out of here," Aashiq explained.

What is the 'eligibility criteria?'

The 'eligibility criteria' is the second big aspect of the redevelopment project which is being opposed.

"A group of 8-10 people comes with security forces. It is being opposed since the beginning," Aashiq added.

According to the criteria, all those residing in Dharavi who have resident proofs from before 1 January, 2000, are eligible for free housing within Dharavi.

Security forces stand guard as DRP officials conduct a survey in Dharavi.

(Photo: The Quint)

"All those who gave residence proofs before 2000, they will be considered eligible and all those who are not, will be considered ineligible. Those whose houses came up after 2000, they will be shifted out of Dharavi to places like Wadala salt pans, Mulund, Deonar dumping ground where land has been sanctioned the developers," Aashiq explained.

So, the protest is that this eligibility criteria should be done away with and every resident of Dharavi, including those who have moved out of 1 January, 2000, should also get homes within Dharavi," Afaque said.

Why the Cut off Date?

• As per rules of the Maharashtra Slum Areas Redevelopment Act 1971, only those living in slums built until January 1, 2000, are 'eligible ' for free rehabilitation. 

• In May 2018, the Devendra Fadnavis government decided to also rehabilitate those in slums built till January 1, 2011, but for a minimal cost.

• Then, a sub-committee formed by the Uddhav Thackeray government recommended this minimal cost be fixed at Rs 2.5 lakh for ineligible slum dwellers.

These are the rules that the DRP is looking to follow for the 'ineligible' residents of Dharavi, along with eligibility under the PM Awas Yojana as well.

The Social and Financial Impact of 'Eligibility Criteria'

The prescribed eligibility criteria has left lakhs of families staring at an uncertain future due to lack of documentation to prove their residency since before 2000. Like Mugamma, an old single mother who lives in a 10 feet by 10 feet house. 

"They (BMC officials) asked for all documents — Aadhaar card, PAN card, voting card, ration card, and electricity bill. We are told this will be demolished but we don't know where we will be shifted," Mugamma said.

Mugamma, an old single mother who lives in a 10 feet by 10 feet house in Dharavi with her daughter.

(Photo: The Quint)

Mugamma's neighbour, Mahadev Mhaske, a daily wage labourer, moved to Dharavi in 1998 but has no documentation to prove so. Like Mugamma, he too lives in a 10x10 feet house with his wife and daughter.

"I shifted here in 1998 but I don't have any proof because I used to travel a lot for work. I have an LIC document from 1998 (with this address) but they say that is not acceptable. Wherever they give, we just want a home. If they give it in this area, it will be better because all my work is here. If they give it elsewhere, we will have to move," he said.

His wife, Urmila, has had to quit her job after getting embroiled in documentation work since the eligibility criteria was announced.

"I worked at a security company for an entire year before this but when we heard this may be demolished, I could not because I had to attend meetings, go the BMC office for documentation," she said.

(Photo: The Quint)

Samya Korde, a youth leader of the Shetkari Kamgar Paksh and daughter of activist Raju Korde, had been at the forefront of protests against the survey.

"Nobody is against development. But the key demand is to waive the eligibility criteria and the survey is being opposed only for that reason," Samya said.

"There are some who are educated so they can get documentation work done and ensure eligibility. But there are thousands like Mugamma who cannot do anything about it and remain ineligible. There have been vital public projects in the past in which cut-off dates have been waived. There is provision for in-situ rehabilitation," she said.

The DRP, meanwhile, has said that this is the first rehabilitation in which residents living on upper floors other than the ground floor will also be given houses on a hire-purchase basis, which is not in the norms for rehabilitation projects.

The Never-Ending Wait for Better Homes

While there are thousands of families who find these concerns and demands to be valid, there are also thousands who have been waiting desperately for redevelopment and have welcomed the project.

"There are scores of people who want redevelopment. There are so many who died waiting for it," said Ishwar Thathawde, a journalist whose three generations have been born in Dharavi.

"There are gullies in Dharavi so narrow that they don't get sunlight in Dharavi unless people step out. There are diseases like Asthama and TB that have spread here. People want to leave these diseases behind. They want better housings," he said.

Yunus Sheikh is assisting on the current survey being conducted by the DRP and has also officially worked as an advisor on a previous one.

A leather processing unit worker rests next to the machinery in Dharavi.

(Photo: The Quint)

"The survey has to happen for a count of how many structures - residential, commercial, industrial like garments, leather, etc. How will you know what is there without a survey?" he said.

In several of the surveys, heated discussions have taken place between the two sides, with parties like Shetkari Kamgar Paksh and Aam Aadmi Party having protested in front of survey officials.

Many journalists, including those from Dharavi, have faced criticism.

"There are many times when we are targeted by both sides. The ones against te survey think we are doing DRP's bidding, while the authorities and leaders don't want us asking any questions on the challenges of the project," Afaque said.

"We are journalists, it is our job to show both sides of the story," he said.

However, there are several other challenges when it comes to the redevelopment when it comes to the small and micro industries in Dharavi that generate employment for lakhs of people. Will redevelopment trigger job losses?

The Dharavi-Adani issue is driving the politics before the Maharashtra elections. Why is Opposition alleging 'land grab'?

The Adani Group is in the crosshairs of it all. How have they reacted to the allegations? What does the DRP have to say about Dharavikars' demands?

We are going to get you tell you all that in the second part of this report.

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