Adani vs Dharavi
• People’s Fight for Their Homes Begins
• Dharavi Residents Defy Adani’s Bulldozer Tactics
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
A fresh storm is brewing over the Dharavi Slum Redevelopment Project, as Adani’s NMIDA (National Mumbai Industrial Development Authority) company and the government have declared thousands of Dharavi residents “unauthorized” for refusing to participate in the controversial survey process. This unilateral move has intensified anger against the state’s urban development policy and Mumbai redevelopment strategies.
According to a press note issued by NMIDA, residents who did not join the survey by the April 15 deadline have now been branded as ineligible for rehabilitation. The Sprouts News Team has learned that Dharavi residents, who have legally inhabited these lands for decades, are facing targeted exclusion simply because they rejected Adani’s redevelopment plan, which they argue is against the spirit of participative urban growth.
• Adani vs Dharavi: Mumbai Redevelopment Under Fire; Dharavi Residents Resist Adani’s Tactics
Dharavi, home to nearly 12 lakh residents, is witnessing growing discontent. The ongoing Dharavi Slum Redevelopment Project survey, run by Adani’s NMIDA, has faced massive opposition. Residents claim the company and government have spread misinformation and used coercive tactics to force survey participation.
Despite these efforts, Dharavi residents have remained steadfast. Now, NMIDA’s action of marking them unauthorized is being widely condemned. Sprouts News Team, which has consistently stood with Dharavi’s people, notes that no government has the constitutional right to strip residents of their homes merely for opposing a private developer’s controversial project.
Former MLA Baburao Mane, a leader of the Dharavi Bachao Andolan (Save Dharavi Movement), warned that any attempt to declare residents ineligible could spark widespread unrest. He challenged the government and Adani to release the “unauthorized residents” list, predicting that it would ignite massive protests across Mumbai.
• Adani vs Dharavi; Dharavi’s Struggle Intensifies; Urban Development Policy in Question
The Sprouts News Team highlights that the survey process itself remains incomplete. Official sources confirm that less than 15% of Dharavi has been surveyed, contradicting Adani’s claims of 70–80% coverage. Moreover, even if residents are deemed ineligible during the survey phase, they have a legal right to appeal, and no final master plan has been publicly disclosed.
Advocate Rajendra Korde, a coordinator of the Dharavi Bachao Andolan, emphasized that the ongoing threats are part of a broader strategy to intimidate residents. He asserted that the survey’s coercive tactics are clear violations of fundamental urban development rights enshrined under India’s redevelopment policies.
Sprouts News Team firmly states that it opposes Adani’s aggressive and exclusionary policies regarding Dharavi redevelopment and reiterates its solidarity with the people of Dharavi.
• Adani vs Dharavi: Massive Mobilization Ahead; Dharavi Prepares for April 20 Protest
With tempers flaring, Dharavi residents have called for a large public rally at Shivraj Maidan, Cross Road, on April 20. Leaders from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), Samajwadi Party, and various social organizations have pledged support.
A strategic meeting chaired by Baburao Mane and attended by activists like Dhananjay Shinde, Aditya Jadhav, Vitthal Pawar, Advocate Rajendra Korde, Abdul Kalam Khan, Prabhakar Narkar, Sanjeevkumar Sadanandan, and others, finalized preparations for the upcoming protest. The consensus is clear: unless Dharavi unites and launches a strong, sustained movement, Adani will not back down from its exclusionary practices.
Leaders warned that if Adani publicly releases a list labeling thousands of families as unauthorized, “Dharavi will erupt in flames,” metaphorically reflecting the intensity of public anger.
Also Read: PM Housing Scheme Costs Soar Under Eknath Shinde’s Tenure.
• Adani vs Dharavi: Dharavi Redevelopment Crisis; A Test for Mumbai’s Urban Development Vision
The Dharavi redevelopment issue is now a litmus test for Mumbai’s broader urban development policy. If the government allows private developers to bulldoze through community rights without fair negotiation, it risks setting a dangerous precedent for future Mumbai redevelopment projects and housing society rehabilitation efforts.
The Sprouts News Team, standing unwaveringly with Dharavi’s people, insists that urban renewal must respect dignity, consent, and legal rights—not force residents into homelessness under the guise of progress.
