Mumbai's Madh-Marve & Malvani Residents blocks Dharavi Project Survey

Residents of Madh-Marve and Malvani gathered in large numbers to prevent officials from the Mumbai suburban district collector’s office from conducting a land survey for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

This marks the second attempt to survey the area, following a previous failure before the assembly elections. Locals remain firm in their opposition to relocating Dharavi residents to Madh.

On Thursday morning, revenue officials arrived to carry out the survey but were met with resistance from residents holding placards and shouting slogans.

The officials left by late morning without completing their task, while protesters continued to occupy the area until late evening. Local Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh, who had earlier joined the protests, once again stood in solidarity with the residents.

Gregory Gracias, a resident, voiced concerns about the region’s strained infrastructure. “There is already a lack of adequate facilities for current residents. Bringing in lakhs of people will create even more congestion. Malad railway station is overcrowded, and traffic at Mith Chowki is a daily problem, with commutes taking up to an hour,” he explained.

Another protester, Aditi Chakraborty, stressed that Dharavi residents should be resettled within Dharavi itself. “There is sufficient land to replace slums with buildings. Malad cannot handle more population with its current poor infrastructure,” she said.

In October 2024, the Eknath Shinde government approved the transfer of 140 acres of revenue land in Aksa and Malvani for the Dharavi project. The government clarified that only those eligible for free housing and residing in Dharavi until 2011 would be housed in Dharavi, while others would be relocated within Mumbai or the metropolitan region with rental housing.