Dharavi redevelopment: Residents of slum clusters to get 350 sq ft flats, says Adani group

Dharavi redevelopment: Residents of slum clusters to get 350 sq ft flats, says Adani group. File Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi

The Adani group said on Monday that it will provided eligible residents of Dharavi slum clusters with new 350 sq ft flats. Engaged in Dharavi redevelopment in partnership with the Maharashtra government, the Adani group asserted that this flat size surpasses what is typically offered in slum redevelopment initiatives by 17 percent.

The newly proposed flats will include kitchen and toilet facilities, an improvement over the previous housing standards for informal settlements, which measured 269 sq ft.

Starting in 2018, the state government initiated the provision of homes measuring 315-322 sq ft for slum dwellers. The redeveloped area is set to feature additional amenities such as community halls, recreational spaces, public gardens, dispensaries, and daycare centers for children. The eligibility criterion for receiving these flats is determined based on a cut-off date of January 1, 2000.

Residents deemed "ineligible" will be accommodated in line with the proposed affordable rental housing policy, adhering to state government norms.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project operates as a special purpose vehicle through a joint venture between the Adani Group and the Maharashtra government. Having secured the contract in November 2022, the company is tasked with rebuilding Asia's largest slum clusters.

The Adani Group has onboarded three city planners, including Hafeez Contractor, to present a draft redevelopment plan for the largest slum cluster in Asia.

In a statement, the group, which has promised to invest Rs 21,000 crore in the first phase, has roped in world famous architect Hafeez Contractor, design firm Sasaki, and consultancy firm Buro Happold as city and infrastructure planners for the project.

Also read: Decisions like Dharavi redevelopment bad for Mumbai and Maharashtra, claims Uddhav

Some experts from the Singapore Housing Development Board are also on board, it said.

The Adani group had in November 2022 won the bid to redevelop Dharavi, with an initial equity investment of Rs 5,069 crore, and the rest from debt.

According to sources, the group has reached financial closure for the first phase of the project with State Bank of India and ICICI Bank committing Rs 4,500 crore for the project.

Hafeez Contractor is known for revolutionary social housing and slum rehabilitation authority projects in the city, while Sasaki is an interdisciplinary design firm from the US. Buro Happold is an international consultancy from England, known for its creative and value-driven infrastructure solutions. (With inputs from PTI)