MUMBAI: Red stencils above stairways in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum serve as eviction notices for lifelong residents like government employee Bipinkumar Padaya.
The 58-year-old sighed that his family has lived there for three generations but now faces compulsory relocation.
Bulldozers will soon enter Asia’s largest slum to flatten its labyrinth of alleyways for a new neighbourhood development.
This redevelopment scheme led by Mumbai authorities and billionaire Gautam Adani reflects modern India’s excessive and ambitious yet brutal transformation.
The project threatens to uproot many of Dharavi’s estimated one million residents and informal workers.
Padaya claims authorities initially promised new houses but are now building planned areas that exclude original inhabitants.
His single-storey home sits in narrow alleys where sunlight barely penetrates the dense urban fabric.
Padaya’s ancestors settled in the fishing village during the 19th century after fleeing hunger and floods in Gujarat.
Migrant waves have since expanded Dharavi into a 240-hectare sprawl with extreme population density.
The area functions as both engine room and underbelly of India’s financial capital through informal industries.
Potters, tanners and recyclers generate an estimated $1 billion annually from their cramped workshops.
British director Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” used Dharavi as its setting despite resident objections.
Residents acknowledge the slum’s unsanitary conditions but cherish its vibrant community spirit.
Construction cranes already tower above corrugated sheets shielding early redevelopment work.
Dharavi Redevelopment Project chief executive SVR Srinivas calls this the world’s largest urban renewal project.
He promises to build a city within a city rather than merely developing the existing slum.
Project brochures showcase new buildings with paved streets, green spaces and shopping centres.
Srinivas guarantees houses for every single family with in-situ resettlement wherever possible.
Businesses will remain under strict conditions though operational frameworks will change.
Families residing in Dharavi before 2000 qualify for free housing under the current plan.
Residents arriving between 2000 and 2011 can purchase units at subsidised low rates.
Newer arrivals must rent homes elsewhere since they don’t qualify for resettlement benefits.
The policy excludes half of Dharavi’s population living in illegally built upper floors.
Eligible resident Manda Sunil Bhave beams at leaving her cramped two-room flat for proper housing.
She dreams of having a toilet and space for guests in her future Dharavi apartment.
“Save Dharavi” campaign leader Ullesh Gajakosh demands equivalent replacement properties for all.
He insists residents want development without being pushed out from their ancestral land.
Local businesses like 78-year-old leatherworker Wahaj Khan fear relocation will destroy livelihoods.
His workshop employs 30-40 people who require Dharavi-based premises to continue operating.
Potters like Abbas Zakaria Galwani refused property censuses over space allocation concerns.
The 4,000-strong pottery community worries about losing their specialised working environment.
Billionaire Gautam Adani faces criticism as the project’s majority stakeholder with 80% control.
His fortune grew significantly since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 election victory.
The Adani Group pledged $5 billion investment for the estimated $7-8 billion project.
Adani promises to complete construction within seven years despite massive complexity.
He publicly vows good intentions to create a new Dharavi with dignity and safety.
Sceptics believe the project targets lucrative real estate near Bandra-Kurla business district.
Activist Shweta Damle alleges the scheme prioritises business interests over people’s welfare.
She predicts three-quarters of residents will be forced to leave their current homes.
The entire informal ecosystem faces disappearance according to community warnings.
This urban transformation could prove disastrous for Dharavi’s social and economic fabric. – AFP