Dharavi Park Row: Adani’s Land Grab Sparks Outrage.

Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098

The Adani Group has acquired a half-acre parking plot at Dharavi Nature Park, previously used by tourists, sparking public outcry. Critics allege the government is favoring corporate interests over environmental preservation. Activists vow resistance, warning that Mumbai’s green spaces are at risk from rapid urban redevelopment.

The redevelopment of Dharavi—India’s most ambitious urban renewal project—has taken a controversial turn. In a recent development, a half-acre plot used for tourist bus parking at the Dharavi Nature Park has been transferred to the Adani Group. This land, once part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)’s eco-preservation initiative, is now earmarked for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

The nature park, which stands as a rare green lung in Mumbai’s industrial heartland, was developed over a 37-acre former dumping ground. Years of ecological restoration, led by the Maharashtra Nature Park Society and MMRDA, transformed this site into a biodiversity hub, home to native trees, bamboo groves, composting facilities, and migratory bird habitats.

Despite government assurances to preserve the park, the recent encroachment on its ancillary infrastructure—specifically the parking zone—has raised alarms. Previously used for buses ferrying tourists and school groups, the half-acre parking area has now been barricaded on all sides and marked with SRA signage, signaling its shift under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

Located adjacent to the PMGP Colony built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the BEST Dharavi Depot, the parking lot was integral to managing visitor traffic. Experts warn that without accessible parking, the flow of tourists—critical for raising awareness about Mumbai’s environmental challenges—may drastically decline.

The land handover has sparked criticism from environmental groups and local activists, who view it as part of a pattern of unchecked land transfers to corporate interests. Baburao Mane, former MLA and leader of the Dharavi Bachao Andolan, condemned the move, calling it “another example of the state offering public land as open bounty to Adani.” He warned that Dharavi residents will respond with collective resistance to what he termed “systematic plunder.”

Community leaders argue that the government’s approach to urban development prioritizes corporate gains over environmental sustainability and public access to green spaces. “What began as a people-centric ecological restoration effort is now being sacrificed at the altar of privatization,” Mane said.

The takeover of Dharavi Nature Park’s parking land underscores a broader trend in Mumbai’s urban policy—where green zones are increasingly vulnerable to infrastructure megaprojects. The Sprouts News investigation reveals that the Dharavi redevelopment, while promising modern housing and infrastructure, risks dismantling decades of grassroots environmental progress.

The Maharashtra Nature Park, once celebrated for its conservation of medicinal plants and seasonal flower shows, played a crucial role in educating city dwellers and schoolchildren about ecology. With this latest land repurposing, the integrity of the entire project is under question.

Sprouts News will continue to monitor the impact of the Dharavi redevelopment on ecological and social justice outcomes. Stakeholders, especially in urban planning and environmental governance, are urged to evaluate the long-term trade-offs of rapid urban redevelopment on Mumbai’s fragile ecosystem.