About 10,000 flats in Mahim to be ready in three years: Dharavi project CEO
MUMBAI
: Construction of 10,000 rehab flats in up to 30-storey buildings is being undertaken under phase 1 of
Dharavi redevelopment project
(DRP) on railway land in Mahim and will be ready in the next three years, said project CEO
SVR Srinivas
.
The 47.5-acre railway land is part of
Dharavi
notified area. DRP has physical possession of 28 acres, on which construction for railway quarters is also underway.
"Residents closest to the railway land (those in sector 1) will be first shifted to the new 350sqft flats," said Srinivas.
The redevelopment, though, will not be carried out sector-wise. Dharavi notified area has been split into five sectors. On completion, phase 1 will free up 60-70 acres in Dharavi notified area, which will pave the way for further redevelopment, said Srinivas. "Our attempt is to minimise transit and after phase 1, work will be sped up," he said.
Simultaneous construction of rental housing will be undertaken at Kurla dairy land and salt pan land at Mulund for those ineligible for free housing in Dharavi notified area. While DRP has obtained physical possession of 21.5 acres of Kurla dairy land and 58.1 acres of Jamasp salt pan land at Mulund, the 140 acres earmarked at Aksa in Malad West is a large parcel that could accommodate many ineligible Dharavi residents in rental housing, said Srinivas. This land is yet to be handed over to DRP.
On the Deonar dumping ground, whose 124 acres are to be used for the project, Srinivas said it would take at least three to four years to get partial possession of the land after scientific closure of the dump and procurement of all environmental clearances.
Defending the incentives offered by govt for the redevelopment scheme, Srinivas said the project isn't just about construction of rehab buildings but also providing housing to all and not letting residents go to another slum.
"In no other slum scheme is everyone provided with a home. Besides, the entire civic infrastructure will be laid by the special purpose vehicle (NMDPL) and paid for by it. Dharavi today has no sewers and everything is discharged directly into Mithi river that discharges into the sea, which brings it all back. Dharavi needs a sewer network, a water supply network." He said Dharavi's redevelopment will serve as a model on how to deal with slums, and make Mumbai a slum-free city.
"In 1985, the late PM Rajiv Gandhi gave Rs 100 crore to redevelop Dharavi and then in 2004, there were efforts to redevelop the slum. In 2015-16, the tender notice was extended five times but there was no response. In the initial years redevelopment is highly capital intensive. In the special purpose vehicle, govt has 20% equity and has so far invested only Rs 100 crore. We could have had 26% equity and veto power but govt cannot be in the driver's seat and hence this via media," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fly ash brick prices up due to raw material costs
Indore: A significant increase in raw material costs led to a price hike of 0.50 paise per piece in fly ash bricks across Indore, lifting the overall building costs for homeowners and construction companies. The surge primarily stems from the rising costs of stone crusher dust and other essential materials used in the manufacturing process. The revised cost of fly ash bricks in Indore is Rs 6.50 per piece. Now the cost of a small truckload carrying 2,000 flyash bricks will be dearer by Rs 1,000. Vijay Gandhi, a builder and member of Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), Indore said, "Any jump in the input cost directly impacts the building cost. In Indore fly ash is used in around 30-40 per cent projects and red bricks are used widely in Indore due to its easy availability." The robust manufacturing base has established Indore as a significant hub for fly ash brick production in the region. According to industry data, Indore's fly ash brick manufacturing units produce approximately 20 lakh pieces daily. The majority of this production serves the local market, with most supplies being consumed within the city and a 20-kilometre radius. Abhishek Purohit, vice president, Fly Ash Brick Manufacturers Cooperative Society Ltd, said, "The association members unanimously decided in a meeting that due to the rising costs of gravel and stone crusher dust used in the production of fly ash bricks, the price per brick will be increased by 0.50 paise. These revised rates will be implemented immediately." The city hosts over 200 fly ash brick manufacturers, forming a substantial industrial segment. These units collectively require around 6,000 tonnes of fly ash per day to maintain their production levels. Industry experts suggest that this price increase could impact ongoing and planned construction projects in the area. Small-scale builders and individual homeowners might need to revise their budgets to accommodate these higher material costs. "Local manufacturers are working to maintain steady production levels while managing increased operational costs, but this has resulted in squeezed margins. Fly ash bricks offer an eco-friendly alternative to traditional clay bricks, and despite the price increase, these bricks remain an essential building material," said Gaurav Mohta, president, of the association. Fly ash manufacturers highlighted challenges related to logistics and timely transportation of fly ash to end-users.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
CM flying squad to probe MCM sanitation contract
Gurgaon: The CM flying squad has initiated an investigation into MCM's sanitation contract with Akanksha Enterprises, demanding documents such as tender details, contractor payments, and supervision records. The probe follows MCM's recent Rs 9.2 crore penalty on the contractor for inadequate service delivery. The contract, initially valid till Feb 2025, was extended to May. "A letter was sent to the MCM officials seeking details of the contract so that the CM flying squad could probe the matter. The civic body was given a week's time to probe the matter," said a ULB official privy to the matter. The contractor submitted an invoice of Rs 13.2 crore for services rendered during these three months. The representative of Akanksha Enterprises, Shishpal Rana, could not be reached despite repeated attempts by TOI. In April, the company also faced a Rs 4.3 crore penalty, during which they alleged bribery among senior MCM officials and payment delays, leading to the transfer of the then MCM commissioner. A sanitation standing committee reviewed the work of the agency between Feb 20, 2025, and May 19, 2025. A meeting was held on June 4 when the committee recommended deducting over Rs 9.17 crore from the agency's Rs 13.17 crore bill, approving only Rs 3.9 crore for payment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo According to state govt-sanctioned estimates derived from central public health and environment engineering standards (SWM manual of CPPHEO norms, 20216) and the project's request for proposal (RFP), the agency was required to supply 1,997 personnel, 96 tractor trolleys, 468 rickshaw carts, and four earthmovers for sweeping roads in the MCM area. The urban local bodies (ULB) department stipulated that all SWM payments would be processed via the SWM monitoring portal starting Jan 2025. The committee observed a significant gap between the actual deployment figures shown on the SWM portal. It revealed personnel shortfalls of 1,315 in Feb, 1,355 in March, 1,533 in April, and 1,284 in May. Regarding equipment deployment, the committee's review showed that the agency provided only 101 rickshaw carts instead of the required 468 and merely 38 tractor trolleys against the specified 94, indicating substantial shortages in equipment provision for their work in the MCM area for three months.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tour operator told to refund elderly couple for cancelled tour in Covid times
Ahmedabad: A consumer commission here has ordered a tour operator to refund the full amount with interest, along with Rs 55,000 compensation, to an elderly couple whose tours to Japan and Europe could not take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The couple was reluctant to go to the UK, Ireland, and Scotland upon the operator's insistence three years later. This case involved Asha and Yogesh Doshi, residents of the Ambawadi area, who paid Rs 5.30 lakh in 2019 to Mumbai-based Neem Holidays Pvt Ltd for two tours — Japan and Europe in 2020. Due to the Covid pandemic, the tours were cancelled. When normalcy returned, they requested the same tour package, but the operator could not arrange it. Considering that people were still reeling under financial stress due to Covid, the couple did not demand their money back. In 2022, the tour operator offered them a 13-day package for Australia. They agreed and paid Rs 10,000 extra, but this did not take place. A year later, the operator offered the couple a tour to the United Kingdom. The couple refused this trip, yet their tickets were booked. They requested the company not to force them to accept this package tour and demanded their money back. As the operator did not respond, the couple sued it with the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, Ahmedabad City to get the refund. The operator's lawyer appeared, but the reply was not filed. The commission said that since the money was lying with the operator, the complainants did not have any choice but to agree to the unreasonable request. However, compelling them for another tour against their wish was harassment. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The complainant's money has been wrongfully withheld by the opponent, and therefore the complainants are entitled to receive the full money of the package tour from the opponent," it said. The commission ordered the operator to return Rs 5.40 lakh with 8% interest, along with Rs 55,000 extra towards compensation for causing "physical harassment and mental agony" and towards the expenditure the couple incurred on litigation.
