Dharavi drone survey will determine who qualifies for rehabilitation

Drones mapped Dharavi to identify illegal structures for redevelopment; those deemed illegal may lose benefits. Eligibility survey ongoing.

MUMBAI: For nine months last year, the 600 acres of Dharavi were mapped and surveyed using drones. The images from these drone surveys will now be used as proof to eliminate ‘illegal’ structures, and Dharavikars in the latter will not qualify for redevelopment benefits. This is the first time that the authorities are making it clear who qualifies as illegal and stands to lose everything after the ongoing physical door-to-door survey is complete.

Dharavi drone survey will determine who qualifies for rehabilitation

On Tuesday, the Adani Group-led Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL), which has been awarded the redevelopment of one of Asia’s largest slums, declared this on behalf of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project/SRA. According to officials, the drone survey, which was okayed in December 2023 at a cost of ₹22 crore, will serve as a benchmark to identify existing tenements and vacant land within the Dharavi Notified Area (DNA).

“Coordinated action will be taken by the DRP and the BMC,” said SVR Srinivas, CEO of the DRP. “If needed, the DRP will consider seriously the possibility of debarring such tenements from the rehabilitation package.”

The authorities said that the drone images would be used to put illegal structures, namely new structures or extensions, under scrutiny. Any new structures or extensions built after this survey will be flagged as illegal and may not qualify for redevelopment benefits. “These illegal set-ups include any new upper floors, retrofitted tenements and new constructions on any vacant land in the DNA done to secure homes under the DRP,” said an official close to the project.

The project developers said that after decades of failed attempts, the long-awaited redevelopment of Asia’s largest slums had finally begun. However, they claimed, “the greed of a few residents and influence of the land mafia” had fuelled unchecked encroachments in the last one year after the DRP took off.

The eligibility survey in Dharavi is currently underway, and the exact number of illegal structures will be determined by the DRP once the survey is completed. The officials from NMDPL said that they had no role in determining the outcome of the survey, as it was purely a government initiative. Recently, 85,000 tenements were numbered and over 50,000 were surveyed in a door-to-door exercise.

The DRP authorities claimed that “real Dharavikars” were eager to get on with the redevelopment, were “rooting for progress” and were glad that the work had finally begun. Sources in NMDPL claimed that pro-development rallies by Dharavikars had taken place; however, they did not have information on who organised them. The locals, on the other hand, are claiming that over the past few days, people from outside Dharavi have been coming and supporting the project while Dharavikars were opposing it.

In 2019, the BMC had undertaken a massive demolition drive in Dharavi. In December 2023, it wrote to the Collector’s office, requesting action against encroachments.