Case Study Dharavi, Mumbai, India

Where in the world is Dharavi?

Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, lies on prime property right in the middle of India's recently redeveloped financial capital in Mumbai (Bombay), on the West Coast of India. The slums can be found right in the centre of Mumbai, in between Indias booming business district and the airport.

The history of Dharavi

Today's Dharavi bears no resemblance to the fishing village it once was.

Dharavi was originally marshy terrain home to the Kolis, a traditional fishing community who lived at the edge of Mahim Creek. As the swamps separating the seven islands that formed Bombay were filled in, migrants from all over India settled in Dharavi. Potters from Gujarat, tanners from Tamil Nadu and embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh were among those who put down roots in Dharavi beginning in the nineteenth century. For migrants, Dharavi offered work and affordable housing; for authorities, until recently, it was a place where illegal settlements could acceptably proliferate away from the central city. Today, Dharavi is composed of almost 100 distinct nagars, or neighborhoods, that form a mosaic of regional, linguistic, religious, caste and class identities. Its largest communities are Tamil and Maharashtrian, each comprising about a third of the population. However, virtually all regions of India are represented in Dharavi, with the newest wave of migrants coming from Bihar. Dharavi is home to Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and others who with the notable exception of the 1992-93 communal riots have lived side by side largely in peace. The majority of Dharavis residents are Dalits (former Untouchables), but members of many other castes and tribes are present as well. Dharavi is home not only to the urban poor, but also to some
middle-class professionals unable to find affordable housing elsewhere

What is the current population of Dharavi?

Dharavi is home to between half a million and one million people (no recent and reliable population statistics are available). A 1986 survey by the National Slum Dwellers Federation (NSDF) counted 530,225 people (106,045 households) living in 80,518 structures; the numbers have surely grown since then.

Industry and economic activity within Dharavi

Dharavi is not only a residential space, but also a major economic hub representing the citys vast informal sector. Dharavis commercial enterprises include recycling industries, leather tanneries, heavy metal work, woodwork, and manufactured goods such as garments, shoes, luggage, jewelry. Industries generally serve all of Mumbai, and many products are even distributed in global markets. One conservative estimate places the annual value of goods produced in Dharavi at USD 500 million (Inside the Slums, The Economist, 27/1/05). Commercial and manufacturing enterprises provide employment for a large share of Dharavis population as well as for some living outside Dharavi. Much of Dharavis productivity is rooted in a decentralized production process relying on a vast network of small home-based production units.

What is it like to live in Dharavi?

Some people are incredibly proud of their heritage, and the fact that they built up their homes and business from scratch over generations. Others find the living conditions hard to bear with, with 12 or more people sharing a 100 sq ft apartment, with no toilet, sanitation or drinking water available.

Why do some people want to redevelop Dharavi?

Many believe that in order for Mumbai to progress and become the world city that they all dream of investment is going to be required. Not enough businesses are going to invest unless living standards are higher there, and the slums proximity to the booming financial district is a huge problem. Furthermore the sheer number of people who live in appalling conditions is awful.

What are the redevelopment plans?

In the context of rising land values, the latest plan to redevelop Dharavi was elaborated a decade ago by US-based architect and consultant Mukesh Mehta and approved by the state government of Maharashtra in 2004. Known as the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and overseen by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), the plan is painted as a win-win situation in which eligible slum dwellers receive secure housing and amenities while middle classes gain new residential and commercial spaces, developers and the government make a profit, and an embarrassing blot is removed from the landscape of the aspiring world-class city. Valued at Rs. 93 billion (around USD 2.3 billion), the plan which authorities have dubbed The Opportunity of the Millennium divides Dharavi into five sectors to be developed by global firms after a competitive bidding process. Profits from the sale of high-end developments will fund the resettlement of eligible slum dwellers (those who can prove their residence prior to January 1, 1995) in free 225 sq. ft. flats in multi-story buildings. Developers are also charged with providing some amenities and infrastructural improvements.

What criticisms have there been of the planned redevelopment?

Many residents live in homes that double up as their own businesses (many illegal) and they believe that in the new high rise buildings there wont be the space to have a business nor the area to sell it in. They are also worried that, like many previous slum redevelopments, they will simply be moved to the outskirts and then not allowed back in. Furthermore in the model building there is still no running water despite a two year wait, if they are struggling to cope now how are they going to with the whole slum moving.

What alternative projects have being proposed?

Some self-help schemes have been proposed wherby the residents are given the chance to redevelop the area themselves.