Dharavi Redevelopment Faces Legal Heat, Raising Questions of Consent and Ownership In the narrow lanes of Dharavi, where homes double as workshops and every corner carries a story, unease is growing. The Rs23,000 crore redevelopment project, led by the Adani Group, was meant to be a turning point—but for many residents, it feels like a rupture. Families who’ve lived here for generations say they weren’t asked, just counted. Doors were numbered without consent, surveys conducted with little clarity. In Kumbharwada, potters defaced red markings on their homes, protesting what they call a forced future. Legal petitions now challenge the process, alleging coercion and a lack of transparency. For the people of Dharavi, this isn’t just about buildings—it’s about dignity, livelihood, and the right to stay rooted in a place they’ve shaped with their own hands. As the Bombay High Court weighs in, the promise of transformation is being tested by the voices of those who fear being left behind.
Consent Under Scrutiny
In Kumbharwada’s clay-scented lanes, where potters have shaped tradition for over a century, the red numbers painted on doors weren’t just survey marks—they felt like warnings. “They came without notice, marked our homes, and left,” said A. Solanki, a third-generation potter whose family kiln still fires earthenware bound for markets abroad. “We asked where we’d be moved, what would happen to our work. No one had answers.”
The survey, part of the Rs23,000 crore Dharavi redevelopment plan, has stirred deep unease. While officials claim over half the residents have participated, many say they were never told what participation meant. In communities built on trust and informal networks, consent isn’t just a signature—it’s a conversation. And that conversation, many argue, never happened.
For families who’ve lived here for generations, the fear isn’t just about losing a home—it’s about losing a way of life. The redevelopment, once pitched as a promise, now feels like a decision made without them.
Legal History and Ownership Tangles
In Dharavi, land ownership isn’t just a legal issue—it’s a daily uncertainty. Ask ten residents who owns their plot, and you’ll get ten different answers: the municipality, the Railways, maybe a private trust. Over the years, this patchwork has turned into a legal maze, with overlapping claims and missing records. Projects like the Prime Minister’s Grant in the ’80s and SRA schemes in the 2000s tried to fix things, but thousands were left out—especially those without formal papers or living on upper floors. Now, with Adani’s redevelopment underway, the same questions resurface. Residents say surveys are rushed, homes are numbered without explanation, and tenure rights remain unclear. Petitions in court demand transparency and proper title verification. Because for Dharavi’s people, this isn’t just about who owns the land—it’s about who gets to stay, who gets counted, and who gets pushed out of the story they’ve helped build.
Dharavi Future Hangs in Balance
In Dharavi, the future isn’t written in blueprints—it’s unfolding in conversations, courtrooms, and quiet moments of doubt. The Rs96,000 crore redevelopment project, once pitched as a model for slum renewal, now feels like a question mark. Residents wait for clarity, not just on where they’ll live, but whether their lives will still fit into the place they’ve always called home.
Urban planners talk about frameworks and viability, but inside Dharavi, people talk about trust. Will their businesses survive the shift? Will their children still walk to the same schools? Will the rhythm of daily life—work above, home below—be replaced by corridors and elevators that don’t speak their language?
Experts warn that without listening, even the best-funded projects can fail. Dharavi isn’t just a slum—it’s a working city, stitched together by proximity, grit, and shared history. If redevelopment forgets that, it risks becoming another cautionary tale.
As the legal process unfolds, one thing is clear: this isn’t just about infrastructure. It’s about identity, belonging, and whether urban renewal can mean more than relocation. Dharavi’s story isn’t over—it’s being rewritten. The question is, by whom?
