Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has handed over possession of a 118-acre land parcel at Mukteshwar in Malad-Malvani to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), clearing the way for the special purpose vehicle (SPV), Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL), to begin planning and construction of rehabilitation housing.

NMDPL is a joint SPV between the Maharashtra government and the Adani Group, established for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

The Malad site will be used to accommodate Dharavi residents who are not eligible for in-situ rehabilitation within Dharavi itself.

Officials noted that this land parcel is the third major site to be brought under the DRP, following the allotment of Mother Dairy land in Kurla and the Jamas saltpan land in Mulund.

The site will primarily house upper-floor residents and those who settled in Dharavi between 1 January 2011 and 15 November 2022. Under the project’s terms, these residents will be relocated to modern, planned townships within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

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Ownership of the Malad land will remain with the DRP/SRA, while the SPV will retain development rights, consistent with other land parcels allocated for the project.

The total value of the 118-acre land is estimated at around ₹540 crore, with NMDPL having already paid ₹135 crore as a premium for development rights.

Of the 140 acres earmarked at Mukteshwar, 118 acres have now been handed over, while 22 acres remain under litigation.

Overall, the state has identified approximately 540 acres across the MMR for the construction of dignified, affordable housing as part of the Dharavi redevelopment initiative. These include land at Kurla, salt pan lands in Kanjur, Bhandup and Mulund, as well as portions of the Deonar dumping ground, to facilitate large-scale rehabilitation.

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Officials expect the handover to accelerate construction of rehabilitation housing and provide momentum for the phased redevelopment, enabling eligible Dharavikars to move into their new homes within the planned seven-year period.

It is estimated that around 1.25–1.5 lakh new homes will be constructed to rehabilitate approximately 10 lakh residents.

-- IANS