Dharavi, Mahalaxmi Racecourse: Of land, politics, and redevelopment

In a city where space is at a premium, two vast tracts of land -- the 500-acre Dharavi slums and the 225-acre Mahalaxmi Racecourse -- have become the battlegrounds for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed Eknath Shinde government (the Mahayuti) and the Opposition alliance, led by Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT).

The government's ambitious vision to metamorphose Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, into a world-class city is facing stiff resistance with Thackeray alleging that the project has been handed to the Adani group under terms favourable to it. “We want to give 500 square feet houses to all Dharavi residents and scrap the government resolution that mandates other Mumbai builders to buy transfer of development rights (TDR) from Adani that would be generated from Dharavi redevelopment,” says Thackeray, 63, at a public meeting. 

Despite Dharavi being located in the Mumbai North Central constituency and Mahalaxmi Racecourse in South Mumbai, the issues have caught the attention of all parties and their candidates.

Rahul Shewale, 51-year-old Member of Parliament for Mumbai South Central from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, asserts his deep understanding of the challenges faced by Dharavi's residents. Born and raised in Dharavi, Shewale notes that has represented the people for several decades, and emphasises that the Dharavi project is a joint venture, not solely an Adani enterprise. 

“The Government of Maharashtra also owns a stake in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) and has government nominees on the board of Dharavi Redevelopment Corporation. We will take all Dharavi legal residents into confidence who are wholeheartedly supporting the project,” he assures.

Empathising with the long-standing aspirations of Dharavi residents for their own homes, he promises that the Dharavi Redevelopment Plan (DRP) will provide more schools and hospitals for all residents, including a 4-acre super speciality hospital.  “We will not displace a single legal resident from Dharavi. They will be given a house in the same place. We will give dukaan (shop), makaan (house) and muskaan (smile) to every resident.” 

Dharavi slums surfaced over a century ago as job opportunities in the city’s textile mills attracted migrants from all over India. Thousands of them worked in the textile mills nearby in Central Mumbai but due to a lack of housing for the migrants, many settled in the slums because of low rents.

Mumbai has since transformed into a megapolis, India's prime business centre, and also the hub of Hindi cinema. The textile mills, crippled by a strike in the 1980s, never recovered. In the last 25 years, owners have demolished them and converted them into luxurious commercial and residential towers to accommodate the nouveau riche. Without any social security, the workers living in Dharavi survived by doing odd jobs. The Dharavi redevelopment is a beacon of hope for many of them.

However some locals are opposed to the project because they are deemed ineligible for redeveloped housing and are expected to be relocated to another site in Mulund, a distant suburb. This has also led to resentment among residents of Mulund who do not want Dharavi residents in their area. But Mihir Kotecha, 49-year-old BJP candidate for North East Mumbai, stresses: “Let me reassure everyone that no resettlement from Dharavi will take place in Mulund.”

Kotecha dismisses the Opposition's allegations, stating that no land has been allocated in Mulund for this project. “The land sought by the Dharavi redevelopment authorities was the Mulund dumping ground. Since the waste at the Mulund dumping ground will be processed for the next six years, no development of residential projects can be done there,” he clarifies.

In Dharavi, residents feel the economic prosperity seen in the rest of the city, with apartments selling for over $1 million in posh towers, has bypassed them. Guddu Kumar, a 23-year-old worker employed at a jeans manufacturing unit, says their shop used to be bustling with workers, but in the past three years, the number of orders has dwindled. “The owner has also left, and has asked us to close the shop within 10 days because there is no work. We don’t have any orders,” he laments.

S Ahmed, a 38-year-old leather manufacturer, reminisces about a time when people used to invest money in businesses without a second thought. “However, it is not the case now. I used to work in Qatar, and I came back because my friends suggested that I start a business of my own. I came back, but I will have to head back,” he rues.

Dharavi, home to numerous small-scale industries generating an estimated $1 billion in annual revenue, has the potential to transform into a "mini-BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex)” due to its proximity to the airport, business hubs, and its expansive land area. To facilitate this redevelopment, the Maharashtra and Union governments have transferred a portion of railway land to the SPV to accommodate residents in new buildings, allowing the vacated land to be redeveloped. Currently, a survey is underway to identify legal residents.

But Varsha Gaikwad, Mumbai regional Congress president and Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate for Mumbai North Central, counters the plan, saying: “What are people of Dharavi getting in redevelopment? The government plans to extend the BKC and not develop Dharavi. Injustice is happening with the people in Dharavi.” 

Biswajeet G, a travel agent in Dharavi, expresses his concerns, too: “The people with families will get flats, which is far better than the houses we currently live in. But, people with businesses have a structured system for everything, from raw materials to exports, which will be disrupted, causing significant losses.”

The state government’s plan to redevelop Mahalaxmi Racecourse into a theme park with malls is also facing strong opposition.  Arvind Sawant, 72-year-old candidate for South Mumbai from Shiv Sena (UBT), is unhappy with the proposal and believes this to be a ploy to seize prime land for redevelopment, even as the government has clarified that there will be no construction in the racecourse, one of the few open areas in the city.

"We had opposed the Aarey metro yard because it involved cutting down trees. Now they are targeting Mahalaxmi Racecourse. We want development in Mumbai, but not at the expense of the environment and people’s rights. Our central park project for Mahalaxmi Racecourse was about enhancing the space for the common man, whereas the BJP’s project will benefit only the builders and the people," claims Sawant, also the incumbent Member of Parliament.

In March, the state Cabinet cleared the proposal to develop the Mahalaxmi Racecourse into a theme park on 120 acres, including land reclaimed from the sea. The land will be handed over to the municipal corporation to build a theme park on the lines of Central Park in New York with cycle tracks, walking treks, and even underground car parking. The lease of Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) was renewed for 91 acres for another 30 years. The land will be handed over to the municipal corporation as members of RWITC voted in favour to return the tract to the state government, which had given it for 100 years. "For too long, vested interests kept the BMC’s doors closed to ordinary Mumbaikars. I wrote to the BMC to hold an International Design Contest to transform 300 acres of coastal road and racecourse land into a world-class green space. This will truly create a 'People's Park'," tweeted Milind Deora, who has switched to Shinde's Shiv Sena from the Congress.

As Mumbai’s six seats head to polls on May 20, lack of space, bad traffic, and world-class commuting solutions are among the primary concerns for the electorate and key issues for party candidates. 

(With inputs from Anjali Kumari)