ISLAMABAD: The rehabilitation of families under Mumbai’s ambitious Dharavi redevelopment project faces fresh uncertainty as delays in statutory clearances and the cleanup of a major landfill threaten to slow the project’s progress.
Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest informal settlements, is home to an estimated 1 million people and spans about 240 hectares in central Mumbai.
Modi-linked tycoon Gautam Adani aims to convert the slum into a modern city hub.
Adani, one of Asia’s richest men, has built his conglomerate, spanning ports, power, airports, and energy, in parallel with Modi’s rise from Gujarat chief minister to India’s prime minister.
Adani Properties won the $619 million redevelopment bid in 2023, with plans to transform the area into a modern urban hub. But the project has faced challenges over land needed to rehouse residents, as well as legal disputes and opposition over the redevelopment process.
According to a report by The Indian Express published Wednesday, five of seven statutory clearances required for the landfill cleanup remain pending. The delays have raised questions over the timeline for rehabilitating families as the Adani-led Dharavi redevelopment project moves forward.
NECL, the agency involved in the landfill cleanup, said it had been informed late about some key approvals, according to the report. The delay in receiving information about the required clearances has contributed to uncertainty over the work's progress.
A Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation official, meanwhile, said scrapping the existing tender could cause further delays, according to The Indian Express.
The delays highlight the challenges facing the project, where rehabilitation, land availability, environmental clearances and waste removal are closely linked. Until the pending approvals and landfill cleanup issues are resolved, the timeline for rehabilitating families remains uncertain.
