The billionaire Gautam Adani’s plans for the ambitious redevelopment project in Mumbai, which is nothing but a Dharavi slum, will begin this February. The venture seeks to gather crucial statistics and biometrics from as many as 1 million poor residents, a vital stage in defining the ‘who should get what’ question for free housing that is part of the redevelopment program.
Dharavi slum, covering an area of 640 acres (259 hectares), remains one of the largest in Asia, and its change is something that has kept authorities busy for a long time. Several years of legal battles ensued, during which the Adani Group was awarded a contract to redevelop the site along with Maharashtra State.
To enlist beneficiaries, the Adani-led firm will conduct an extensive door-to-door survey among residents who have inhabited Dharavi before 2000. The last census that took place fifteen years ago provided obsolete facts, and there are suspicions of moving about 700 thousand ineligible inhabitants.
S.V.R Srinivas, the head of the Dharavi Redevelopment Authority behind this project, said that a survey would be conducted to gain more information through questionnaires about occupants residing on premises used for residential or commercial purposes, agent ownership proofs, and biometric data/fingerprints.
In an interview, Srinivas stated that “our teams will visit every house and make sure there is the collection of biometric data.” The intention is to ensure that eligible residents get houses without, at the same time, providing an advantage to ineligible people.
Political parties have come out to oppose the Adani-led initiative, claiming favoritism in awarding a $614 million redevelopment bid. However, both the state government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and Adani insist on their innocence despite protests.
Srinivas is confident that global teams have been engaged in the project by Adani, and redevelopment will begin within a year.
The survey will be administered in two phases, starting with the pilot phase, which samples a few hundred residents within three to four weeks. The overall exercise is likely to last for nine months.
The Dharavi Redevelopment Authority will make the final decision regarding residents, who are entitled to free houses or relocation. More staff will soon be hired to supervise both the survey and the project at large.
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