Can Dharavi Redevelopment Be A Template For Slum-Free India?

The exercise, if carried out thoughtfully, can be a win-win solution for slum-dwellers, those living in and around the area and even the government.

A top architect involved with the Dharavi Redevelopment Project said that the model can provide decent housing to the slum-dwellers while generating surplus revenue for the government. 

“Slums are in the prime locations of cities. We can create homogeneous relationships and create well-planned cities. We need resources, knowledge, political will and vision,” Mukesh Mehta, Chief Planner for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, told The Secretariat at the recently organised India Land Development Conference (ILDC) in Ahmedabad. He is also the Chairman of Mumbai-based M.M. Project Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (MMPC).

His model is pulling slum land and then dividing it into three parts: 

• For building a decent high-rise building to provide homes to the slum dwellers, 
• For developing common facilities like schools, hospitals, shopping areas, parks, and 
• For the construction of high-rise buildings, where homes would be sold on commercial projects. 

The infrastructure for healthcare, education and commerce can be created in a manner that supports the rehabilitated slum-dwellers and new occupants alike without compromising the quality of the service and amenities for the slum-dwellers. 

PPP Model

His plan for close to 30 lakh families in 189 cities of Maharashtra, based on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, could create a monetary surplus between Rs 3 lakh crore and Rs 5 lakh crore. “This model is taught in Harvard and several other institutes. It can be replicated in all the cities of India. Ahmedabad has 900 slum pockets, and Mumbai has 2,450 on prime land. Club a few of them in every city and make mini townships containing all the amenities. This enhances the value of land to be sold on a commercial basis,” he said. The plan includes close to three lakh transit tenements for those who migrate to the cities, so that new slums do not come up.

He calls this model ‘HIHIKESS’, an acronym for Health, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Income Generation, Knowledge/Education, Environment, Socio-Cultural Development and Security. This determines the quality of life for all the residents. He warns that India has to learn quickly to manage its cities and suggests a revolutionary change in which slum dwellers are looked upon. “I regularly visit Dharavi. Many are extremely talented and hard-working. They can even become CEOs of companies, just the way Indian immigrants have in the US and other countries and be taxpayers,” he said.

“Unless we bridge the gap, we will continue to have two separate segments in society, and the poor will continue to rise as more and more come to the cities,” Mehta said. 

According to the 2011 Census, the slum population constitutes 5.4% of India’s total population. Then 2,613 cities across 31 states and Union Territories of the country accommodated close to 1.39 crore households with 6.55 crore slum-dwellers.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U)

With India’s population now over 1.4 billion, at the same percentage, the slum population can be estimated at 7.56 crore. However, a Government of India press statement on August 1, 2024, claimed that almost 1.19 crore houses have been provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U).

Experts say that often, in the absence of organised data, the phenomenon of urbanisation and the growth of slums seems challenging. 

S.B. Dangayach, Founder-Trustee of Ahmedabad-based Innovative Thought Forum, told The Secretariat that India has a total land mass of about 32.87 crore hectares or 32.87 lakh square kilometres. Of this, 18 crore hectares (about 60%) is used for agriculture and allied activities, while close to one lakh hectares (3% of the total land mass) comprises cities. There is an estimated shortfall of two crore urban houses in India. An estimated 50 square metres of residence for a family, this would require 50,000 hectares for residence space. “Take a one-hectare or 10,00 square metres of plot and give an FSI of two, which means that 20,000 square metres of residence space for 400 houses can be created. This means that two crore houses will require only 50,000 hectares of land across the country. Add another 50,000 for amenities, and with 1,00,000 hectares, we can provide decent living space to two crore families and make India absolutely slum-free,” he explained. 

Land Scenario In India

• Total Land Mass: 32.87 crore hectares or 32.87 lakh square kilometres
• Land Mass in Agriculture and Allied Activities: 18 crore hectare
• Land Mass of Urban Areas: 1 crore hectare (3% of total land mass)
• Land required for an additional 2 crore urban homes: 50,000 hectares (0.5% of existing urban land mass)

Dangayach further stated that huge land parcels are available with Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), state Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Trusts, temple trusts, Waqf boards and charity organisations. Efforts should be made to change the regulations governing land use to utilise this land without changing the ownership. “All this land is lying unutilized. CPSEs have 10 lakh acres of land. The Railways and the Ministry of Defence put together have even more land. If this land is used, then we can provide not only affordable housing in cities, but also affordable working places from MSMEs,” he suggested.