Mumbai: Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad has written to the Maharashtra government, saying uncertainty and insecurity prevailed among residents of Dharavi over their rehabilitation after the redevelopment of the slum colony.In the letter written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on June 13, Gaikwad sought an urgent meeting with officials and a clear rehabilitation policy for residents affected by the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP). She said the redevelopment project should not be confined to construction of buildings, but must prioritise the social and economic well-being of residents, local industries and the area’s ecosystem.Referring to 47 residential buildings in Shahu Nagar owned by the BMC’s estate department, she said residents had received notices on June 10 asking them to vacate their homes within seven days. “The notices have created fear and anxiety among thousands of residents as they do not specify where they will be rehabilitated, when alternative accommodation will be provided, the size of houses or how their rights will be protected,” she said.Uncertainty and insecurity prevailed among residents as there was no written assurance that eligible families displaced from railway land and plots belonging to public bodies would be rehabilitated within Dharavi itself, Gaikwad said in the letter.She noted that lands belonging to various public entities, including BEST depots, Tata Power, Nisarg Udyan and other government agencies, have been included in the project. However, she said no clear policy had been announced regarding the rehabilitation of affected residents. Citing media reports suggesting that Dharavi’s redevelopment was being modelled on housing projects in Singapore and Hong Kong, Gaikwad said residents remained concerned due to the lack of clarity over rehabilitation, livelihoods and the future of local industries.She demanded that the government issue a written guarantee ensuring that all eligible residents would be rehabilitated within Dharavi.
