Dharavi Redevelopment Project: Amid Opposition Authorities Begin With Door to Door Survey

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the authorities continued to carry out the second phase of the survey, despite people's opposition to Dharavi's redevelopment project. The officials commenced with laser mapping of lanes also known as the Lidar Survey and door-to-door survey. Dharavi's redevelopment project has become a political issue, with people opposing the project and demanding a bigger carpet area. Under  Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL) , a person can receive a house of approximately 300 sq. ft. However, this is not acceptable to Dharavi residents. However, the first phase commenced in Zone 2, which recently made Kamala Raman Nagar in the Matunga East area of Dharavi. The residents living here have welcomed the survey and are looking for redevelopment.

The survey started with one of the residents Sakshi Sawant of Kamala Raman Nagar in the Matunga East area. The survey covered approximately 50 residents. The five teams of five members each visited residences or commercial establishments. With the Lidar survey, they also collected the documents of the residents. The authorities collected photocopies of the oldest and latest electricity bills, voter ID cards, electoral roll copies, and hotel licenses issued by the BMC. The demographic survey also includes questions concerning the size of the family, the member's educational background, earning members, total family income, mother tongue, native place, Job in Dharavi or outside Dharavi, mode of transport used, and duration of residence in the current house.

The data collected through the survey will be submitted to the state government upon its completion, which will then determine the eligibility of the residents. On 18 March, the DRPPL commenced the first phase of the survey. DRPPL, a joint venture between Adani Realty and the state government, began the survey in Zone 2, Kamala Raman Nagar. The residents welcomed the survey's launch, but Dharavi social activists questioned the selection of Zone 2 for the survey's start, highlighting its unauthorized status and recent inclusion in Dharavi.