The Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) in Mumbai is ramping up efforts to engage with residents through an extensive outreach programme designed to address their concerns and doubts. Central to this initiative is a dedicated call centre, community meetings, and pre-survey awareness campaigns to increase participation and transparency in the ongoing redevelopment process.
The DRP call centre, staffed with 10 telecallers fluent in Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, and English, handles over 8,000 calls every month. The team informs residents about ongoing door-to-door surveys and helps answer their questions. A DRP-SRA official encourages residents to use the toll-free helpline (1-800-268-8888) to clear any doubts regarding eligibility, documentation, and entitlements. The official hopes for increased call usage to improve communication and participation.
The DRP aims to transform the Dharavi slum in Mumbai into a modern urban area with high-rise buildings and better amenities. The project, which began in 2004, faced several delays but gained momentum in 2022. It will provide 350 sq ft flats for eligible residents, along with schools, hospitals, and recreational spaces. The entire project, estimated to cost Rs 23,000 crore, is expected to take seven years to complete.
The DRP also works closely with community leaders and influencers, who play a key role in spreading accurate information. These leaders help ease concerns and counter misinformation, ensuring residents understand the project's goals and benefits.
In addition to phone calls and meetings with leaders, the DRP carries out door-to-door visits, distributes pamphlets, and hosts large community meetings with slum societies.
“We are trying through various means to inform and educate Dharavikars about the redevelopment plan, its benefits and how the survey is just the stepping stone in this humongous project. Dharavikars must come forward to participate and help in completing the survey as early as possible,” the official said.
A key part of the survey involves collecting residents' documents. Survey teams take photos of documents and collect self-attested copies, which are securely stored for processing. Residents receive survey receipts as proof their structure has been surveyed. However, some residents have expressed concerns about the security of their data.
To address these concerns, the DRP-SRA official reassured residents that all documents are kept in a secure facility. “There is no risk of misuse. The information is used only for survey and rehabilitation purposes,” the official said.
Before starting surveys in any area, the DRP takes careful steps to inform residents. This includes meeting with local leaders, resolving doubts, and distributing educational materials. The DRP also displays notices and posters in targeted areas to ensure all residents are aware of the upcoming surveys. So far, the project has covered over 79,000 lanes and numbered more than 70,000 hutments.