Mumbai: ‘Will march to Mantralaya over Dharavi rehab project,' say residents

Residents of Dharavi, Mulund and Kurla, united under the banner ‘Save Mumbai Committee', have decided to publish a white paper on the Dharavi redevelopment project to convey the true nature of the situation to citizens. Members of the organisation, who are opposed to the relocation and rehabilitation of Dharavi residents to the other part of the city, also plan to organise a march to Mantralaya in August.

On Saturday, the committee held a meeting at the Ganesh Hall in Kurla East, which was attended by social activists Vishwas Udgir and Rajan Raje.

Advocate Sagar Devre, a Mulund resident, said, "In the meeting, we decided to publish a white paper on this project. Vishwas Udgir will help us to publish it. With this white paper, we will visit all political parties in Mumbai to get their support. We are also thinking of organising a march to Mantralaya. We are not against the project. Our concern is only that the government has decided to rehabilitate Dharavi residents who are ineligible for the project in other parts of the city."

Nilesh Kamble, a resident of Kurla, said, "We have decided to launch a social media campaign to create public awareness among the people who are going to be affected. We have appealed to social activists to support us."

He added that the population in Nehru Nagar, Kurla East has risen due to the redevelopment project. "We need more open places in the colony," he added.

According to RTI documents, the Dharavi Rehabilitation Authority has come up with a plan to use 21 acres of Kurla dairy for rehabilitation projects. Meanwhile, 521 acres of land across the city will be used for the rehabilitation of the ineligible families of Dharavi. According to the RTI document, the authority has demanded land belonging to the MMRDA, the collector and the BMC as well as dairy and saltpan land. mid-day had reported that the civic body is ready to give Mulund octroi naka and dumping ground land in a phase-wise manner. However, the BMC refused to let go of Dahisar and Mankhurd octrai naka land.

July 20
Day meeting was held