Adani’s Arbitrary Evictions Begin
• 75% Dharavi Residents Declared Ineligible
• Adani’s Eviction Blueprint Exposed
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
Adani-led Dharavi Redevelopment Project has sparked outrage as over 75% residents, especially from Meghwadi, are declared ineligible in the first list. Locals allege forced displacement, violating in-situ promises. Protests and legal challenges are now intensifying.
Mass Disqualification in Dharavi Triggers Outrage
In a controversial move under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), more than 75% of residents listed in the first eligibility list have been declared ineligible for rehabilitation. This decision contradicts recent assurances by DRP CEO, who publicly promised that “no resident would be left without a home.”
Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) has learned that this sweeping disqualification is affecting thousands, especially in Ganesh Nagar’s Meghwadi, where most families have lived for decades. The DRP, now being executed through Adani Group’s SPV NMPLDA, appears to be implementing a systematic strategy to evict long-time Dharavi dwellers from their existing homes.
Out of 535 structures surveyed, only 228 households have been marked as eligible. Of these, even residents who lived in Dharavi between 2000 to 2011 are being asked to pay and accept homes outside Dharavi. This reduces the number of truly in-situ rehabilitated households in Meghwadi to just 100–125, a figure that represents less than 25% of the local population.
‘Second BKC’ Dream at the Cost of Displacement?
Residents and activists allege that Adani’s real motive is to create a commercial hub like Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) on Dharavi land, by displacing the existing working-class population. The declaration of mass ineligibility in the first list is being viewed as a calculated move to clear land for upscale development.
According to Dharavi Bachao Andolan (DBA) members, the government’s public assurances have now been proven hollow. ex MLA Baburao Mane, a key coordinator of the movement, warned of an impending agitation. “We will protest by burning the official master plan next week. This is not redevelopment, it’s a land grab,” he said.
The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) notes that the DRP was originally designed as an “in-situ” redevelopment scheme. This means residents were to be rehabilitated on the same land where they currently live. However, the actual implementation indicates displacement through technical exclusion rather than true inclusion.
Flawed Eligibility Process Raises Legal Concerns
While the DRP authority has clarified that this is only a preliminary eligibility list, the pattern of exclusions has raised serious questions. Residents are being given time until July 5 to submit missing documentation or raise formal objections. The final list will be released thereafter.
Activists argue that this objection window is too narrow and the process lacks transparency. Many residents claim their documentation was submitted long ago but has either been ignored or lost. Moreover, even those with pre-2000 residency proof are reportedly being marked ineligible, in clear violation of earlier rehabilitation criteria.
Also Read: MBBS Fee Scam: DMER’s Dr. Ajay Chandanwale Accused of Cover-Up.
Meghwadi’s Late Inclusion: A Strategic Ploy?
One of the most affected areas, Meghwadi, was not part of the original DRP layout. It lies on 47.5 acres of railway land in Ganesh Nagar and was included in the project only recently. Residents allege that this late inclusion is part of a deliberate plan to avoid earlier documented rights and reclassify genuine occupants as encroachers.
Locals claim that Meghwadi’s inclusion came without sufficient public notice or mapping transparency. Since this zone wasn’t previously surveyed under Sector 5 of the DRP, many families missed out on being properly accounted for in older records — making them easy targets for disqualification.
Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) found that this redefinition of project boundaries may have allowed Adani and government agencies to reset eligibility benchmarks, thereby excluding large swathes of residents without facing legal scrutiny.
Calls for Transparency and Legal Intervention Mount
As discontent rises, legal experts and urban policy researchers warn that the current approach may violate constitutional rights to shelter and livelihood. If the trend continues, Mumbai may witness one of the largest peacetime forced evictions under the pretext of urban redevelopment.
Multiple petitions are expected to be filed in Bombay High Court, with activists demanding a complete revision of the eligibility list, re-verification of documents, and restoration of in-situ rehabilitation norms.
For now, the Dharavi redevelopment — once seen as a model for inclusive urban renewal — is facing mounting criticism for becoming a corporate-driven displacement engine. Stakeholders across Mumbai are watching closely to see whether Adani’s project will uphold the spirit of fair rehabilitation or become another instance of development without dignity.
