One of the world's largest slums in Bombay to be equipped i a new property project. The goal is for the area to become both cleaner and safer. But local residents are worried that their culture will be neglected and that they will be forced to leave their homes.
Dharavi is one of Asia's largest slums with a population of 600 up to 000 million people. The area, which is the size of 1 football pitches, is located in south-west Bombay on the west coast of India. In large parts of Dharavi, there is a lack of running water and clean toilets. Made famous by the British drama film Slumdog Millionaire, the area is vibrant and consists of narrow alleys and densely built housing. In addition to being one of the world's most densely populated residential areas, Dharavi is also known for its cultural life and small-scale handicraft industries.
Business magnate wants to refurbish the residential area
Because the housing in Dharavi is densely packed, the area is dealing with major problems, including the spread of diseases and viruses. Due to the lack of opportunities for social distancing, Dharavi, among other things, was hit hard by the coronavirus when the pandemic hit.
In July 2023, the Indian state approved yet another project idea for the slum area of Dharavi. The whole of Dharavi will be redeveloped as a single project – as opposed to the previous plans to divide it up the area in several sectors. Several previous attempts to equip the area have failed for various reasons, including lack of market interest as in the last attempt in 2016.
Under the leadership of business magnate Gautam Adani, one of the world's richest men, the project will develop the homes in Dharavi to modern apartment complexes and create safer living environments. The company Adani Group, which will carry out the refurbishment, who describes that the project should counteract them the prevailing problems with, for example, the spread of infection. Among other things, the upgrading of Dharavi is described as a historic opportunity to transform an "urban misery" into a city based on dignity, security and inclusion. Residents who have lived in Dharavi since before the year 2000 will be eligible for free housing after the redevelopment project, and people who have settled in Dharavi after the year 2000 will be able to stay in Dharavi but have to pay rent.
A city within a city
Equipping Dharavi can have positive effects, says Suruchi Thapar-Björkert, author and professor at Uppsala University. She has spent biga of thear of her research into modern Indian history and gender studies in sociology and political science. She agrees the argument that there are many low-income earners in Dharavi who live in poor living conditions.
- I believe that Adani's proposal will have a positive impact on living conditions. However, safety for health and hygiene is only one aspect when we talk about improved living conditions, says Suruchi Thapar-Björkert.
At the same time, she points out that the slum area is not only a dirty and crowded area where India's most economically vulnerable people live.
Suruchi Thapar-Björkert visited Dharavi for the first time in 2010 after watching the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The film's portrayal of Dharavi as a dirty, poor and crowded slum piqued the curiosity of Suruchi Thapar-Björkert, who along with her husband decided to go there to see why Dharavi was called the world's largest slum. But when they got off the bus line's last stop, it wasn't the piles of garbage, open drains or the maze of narrow alleys that caught their attention. IN instead, it was the flow of people, goods and the diversity of small-scale industries that fascinatede them. Inside Bombay grew a city of its own, where residents and tourists bought local goods from Dharavi's many leather crafts, pottery, tailoring, fresh fruit and vegetable markets and goldsmiths.
- Dharavi was not only inhabited by poor people, but by people from different social classes, castes and religions. Some of these people had also moved to a higher socio-economic position thanks to the positive development of the small-scale enterprises, says Suruchi Thapar-Björkert.
Critical voices about the rebuilding project
Pthe project with equipping Dharavi has attracted criticism voices which means att it overlooks many of the businesses and industries in the area. Criticismr believes that the project risks neglecting Dharavi's cultural heritage and tradition of, among other things, leather manufacturing, and thus the livelihoods of many of the area's residents.
- The culture in Dharavi has been passed down from generation to generation, therefore many artisans have no formal education. So if you don't have a formal education, what kind of job will you do if your professional activity disappears?, says Suruchi Thapar-Björkert.
"I wanted to find out how people experienced the rehabilitation process"
Sofia Klingenstierna works at Sthe Finnish Chamber of Commerce in India. She has visited Dharavi on several occasions, and she has a friend who was born and raised in Dharavi. The friend has told us that there are approximately 7 toilets in the area which should be enough for 000 million people.
- So getting running water and a toilet in connection with a new construction project is positive, says Sofia Klingenstierna.
In the spring of 2022, she conducted a field study in Bombay. The study focused on people who have experience of so-called slum rehabilitation – that is, families from slum areas who have been relocated to newly built apartments as part of an urban renewal project. This transformation, driven by private investors with permission from local authorities, aims to replace slums with modern residential and office buildings.
The study showed a complex picture of the people with experience of slum rehabilitation. For many of the interviewees, the move meant, on the one hand, a considerable improvement in their living standards – for example in the form of access to running water, improved kitchen facilities and a private toilet. On the other hand, their situation worsened in other ways. The new homes were often far from their workplaces, which led to longer commuting times and increased living costs. In addition, the new apartments were in several cases smaller than their previous residences, further complicating life for the families. This showed the importance of planning reconstruction projects and taking into account the needs and living conditions of people affected by them.
One of the goals within Agenda 2030 is Sustainable cities and communities, which means that the countries of the world must work for sustainable urban development, that all people should have access to secure housing at an affordable sum and to areans cultural and natural heritage must be protected. Inthey have the day made several in recent years progress in line with the global sustainability goals, and rebuildingone of Dharavi can be seen as a part in the work with to achieve this goal. According to the company that handles the rebuilding of Dharavi expected the project begins in a year. When the project is finished remains to be seen.
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