India's largest slum about to become a 'super city'?

The Dharavi slum transformation plan is led by billionaire and infrastructure tycoon Gautam Adani, who founded the Adani Group and is set to surpass Jeff Bezos to become the world's second-richest person by 2022.

“A new chapter of pride is beginning. This is a historic opportunity for us to create a new Dharavi of dignity, safety and inclusion,” Adani wrote in a message on the company’s website after winning the contract to redevelop the area in 2022.

He vowed to "create a world-class modern city, reflecting a resurgent, confident and growing India, finding a new place on the global stage because the 21st century belongs to India".

View of Dharavi slum in Mumbai, India, April 14. Photo: CNN

But his vision for a new Dharavi has been met with mixed reactions, from hopeful residents ready for change to skeptics. Some have vehemently opposed the proposal, fearing that Adani’s plans could endanger their homes and businesses.

According to the Mumbai government, for more than a century, Dharavi has welcomed migrants who flocked to settle there because it is a free land and not subject to government control.

From the late 1800s, traditional potters from Gujarat, leather workers from Tamil Nadu and embroiderers from Uttar Pradesh began arriving in Dharavi. Lalitha Kamath, professor of urban planning and policy at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, says the migrants and poor built a habitable place in Dharavi. They transformed it from a swampy area into what it is today.

But because of its informal nature, Dharavi has remained undeveloped and chaotic for years. For decades, the government has struggled to find developers and builders who could redevelop Dharavi from top to bottom. There are also many questions: Which residents will be resettled, and where? How will business owners be compensated? Who will be eligible?

“Redeveloping an entire slum is quite difficult,” Ms Kamath said. “Dharavi has particular challenges due to its population size, economic importance and land value, surrounded by wealthy downtown commercial areas, close enough to the airport that arriving planes can see the sprawl of the slum from the air.”

After years of delays and unsuccessful bidding processes, Adani’s company has won the rights to redevelop Dharavi with a 50 billion rupee ($612 million) bid. The project is expected to take seven years to complete and is the latest megaproject undertaken by Adani Enterprises, which currently supplies electricity to Mumbai.

A sewage canal filled with garbage in Dharavi, April 18. Photo: CNN

Adani announced on his website that around one million people would be “rehabilitated and resettled,” with homes and businesses to be redeveloped. He promised that residents would have better healthcare and recreational facilities, open spaces, hospitals and schools, among other things.

According to a spokesperson for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRPPL), ground floor residents who lived in Dharavi before 2000 will be given a free apartment in an area of ​​at least 32.5 square metres.

Residents on the upper floors, or those who lived there between 2000 and 2011, will get a 27.9-square-meter house after a one-time payment of 250,000 rupees (about $3,000), located 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Dharavi.

Those who moved to Dharavi after 2011 will also get a 27.9 square meter house within the same radius but will have to pay rent to the state.

All apartments, in or near Dharavi, will have separate bedrooms, toilets and kitchens, a spokesperson said. The plan is a partnership between Adani and the Maharashtra state government. The land itself will remain state-owned.

Some people are enthusiastic about Adani’s plans. “I will be happy if the development happens,” said a resident named Jadhav. “I want my children to have a better life and move from here to a place where they have all the amenities like good schools and parks to play.”

“If Adani delivers on its promise, our lives will definitely improve,” she added.

But some residents remain unconvinced. “For the past 30 years, we have been dreaming and hearing about redevelopment, but nothing has happened,” said Dilip Gabekar, 60, who was born in Dharavi and works for a non-profit that supports women and children in the slum.

Hoai Phuong (according to CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/khu-o-chuot-lon-nhat-an-do-sap-tro-thanh-sieu-thanh-pho-post301903.html