'No One Trusts Adani In Dharavi'

'We have 70,000 forms filled which states that the people of Dharavi do not want Adani.'

In November 2022, the Adani group won the tender for Dharavi's redevelopment.

Ever since, the project has been marred by controversy.

Dharavi, located in north central Mumbai, is one of the largest slums in the world and houses different communities.

The residents of Dharavi are not willing to move into transit camps elsewhere in Mumbai during the redevelopment process.

It was reported that the Eknath Shinde government gifted land to the Adani group in Mulund, Kanjurmarg, Kurla and Madh Island, which resulted in further controversy.

Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com spoke to Baburao Mane, leader of the Dharavi Bachao Andolan (Save Dharavi Committee) to find out why the residents of Dharavi are opposing the Adani project. An e-mail sent to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd seeking their clarifications went unanswered.

The Adani group has started marking each home in Dharavi ahead of the redevelopment.

The Adani group has no idea how many families reside in Dharavi.

There are 115,000 families who reside here and we want all these families to be rehabilitated in Dharavi only.

It is practical to do so in the 400 acres of Dharavi area. The total area of Dharavi is 650 acres, so it is easily possible to rehabilitate all the people within Dharavi itself. And this is possible to do so by giving 500 square feet homes to each family.

What marking is going on and when did it start? Did Adani representatives speak to the Dharavi Bachao Andolan about it?

They have started the survey for the last six months. Adani group officials come in at night and do the marking.

The people are upset about the sign outside their homes, so they erase the markings once the Adani officials leave.

We are saying that there are no illegal houses in Dharavi and whoever has a house in Dharavi needs to be given 500 square feet homes and in the same location.

Aren't they doing so?

No, they are not. They are saying first shift to the other place in transit camps (located in Mulund, Kanjurmarg or Malad) and later you will be allowed to come back to Dharavi.

But they are saying they will bring you back to Dharavi, isn't it?

No one trusts Adani in Dharavi.

The people of Dharavi will not move to transit camps that are located outside Dharavi. We will not allow that to happen.

Let there be a change in government, and the tender for Dharavi will be cancelled.

But moving out to transit camps is the way forward for any redevelopment process, isn't it?

You must understand Adani's game plan. He wants to make Dharavi another Bandra Kurla Complex (the area adjacent to Dharavi where many corporations have their offices).

He will shift the people of Dharavi outside to transit camps and will never take them back. He will then say be happy at least you have a home somewhere. Now stay there and don't come back to Dharavi.

What role is the government playing in this?

The problem is neither the government nor Adani is agreeing to our first demand, that is, how many square feet homes will be given to us.

We are demanding 500 square feet homes. Adani is saying we will get 335 square feet homes only.

Why will we take that? A 335 square feet home is too small. We want 500 square feet homes.

A 335 square feet home with bathroom and toilet is good in exchange for a current ten by ten room in Dharavi, isn't it?

I will put it simply for you.

When the government of Maharashtra through MHADA redevelops slums it gives existing tenants 500 square feet homes, so why can't Adani do the same thing for Dharavi tenements?

Why will we take up Adani's 335 square feet home offer?

Did you meet Adani officials?

We are not interested in meeting Adani officials. He is a two-month guest.

The new government of Maharashtra, which will be run by the current Opposition group, will scrap Adani's Dharavi project.

But there are people in Dharavi who support Adani and who want the redevelopment, isn't it?

We too want development, but nobody from the government or Adani is talking in our favour.

We oppose Adani because he is not meeting our demands.

We don't want development of Dharavi land, we want development for the people of Dharavi.

We want good gardens, wide roads, better schools and hospitals.

Dharavi must be made into a smart city. This is our dream.

Adani can meet our demands and do these things. He has the capacity, but he is squeezing us for profits.

Did your opposition to Adani come after his officials didn't agree to give you 500 square feet homes?

We stood up in opposition to Adani's Dharavi plan as he did not present the masterplan of Dharavi before us.

Where will my future house be located once I am told to vacate my house in Dharavi? I have no idea.

Which floor will I get my house in? I have no idea.

Will I get a 500 square feet home? I have no idea.

There is no agreement done between the people of Dharavi and Adani.

This is the precise reason residents of Dharavi are opposing the project.

We took out a morcha of one lakh people against Adani. Therefore, he has to do the survey with the help of the police in the middle of the night as he knows people will oppose his men.

Did anyone from Adani's office meet you?

No, never. Had he come, we would have spoken to them.

Adani's men do not come to us and we too never go to meet him.

The Adani group is doing its work quietly, so what are you doing to oppose it?

We are meeting every day to oppose the Dharavi redevelopment project.

We kick their people out when they come to do the inspection of homes.

They come to inspect our house with police protection for their safety, but yet the people drive them out.

Dharavi Bachao Andolan workers drive them out of our area.

Does everyone in Dharavi support the Dharavi Bachao Andolan?

No one is with Adani in Dharavi. 100 percent Dharavi people are with us.

Right now, we have 70,000 forms filled which states that the people of Dharavi do not want Adani.

When you say 115,000 families live in Dharavi, are they all legal property holders?

Everyone is a legal property holder of Dharavi from these 115,000 families.

The project has got the status in which there are no illegal property holders in Dharavi.

Therefore, our demand is that all of these 115,000 families must get 500 square feet homes.

Adani has got 1,180 acres of land for the Dharavi project all over Mumbai.

Why is Adani taking land all over Mumbai for free from the government when we don't want to move out of Dharavi?

I fail to understand this logic.