Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the state government's most comprehensive plan yet for eliminating slums across Mumbai at the Maharashtra Infrastructure Conclave in Mumbai on Thursday. According to reports from The Times of India, the government is targeting nearly 15 lakh rehabilitation homes by 2030, representing one of the largest urban transformation projects in Indian history. The initiative aims to create 15 lakh rehabilitation homes through cluster housing and integrated urban infrastructure to address Mumbai's housing shortage and improve living conditions for slum dwellers. Speaking at the conclave, Shinde emphasized that this initiative extends beyond physical redevelopment, stating it involves redevelopment of lives and entire neighbourhood ecosystems.
The government has already established 19 cluster redevelopment zones across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, as reported by The Times of India. These zones are designed to transform congested settlements into planned urban neighbourhoods featuring wide roads, gardens, schools and modern civic amenities. The push involves a multi-agency approach with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, City and Industrial Development Corporation, Slum Rehabilitation Authority and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority all working in coordination. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and MHADA are also jointly driving cluster redevelopment projects across the region to ensure comprehensive slum elimination.
Dharavi, Asia's largest slum and long considered the most complex redevelopment challenge in the city, is central to the plan. Speaking at the conclave, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) CEO Mahendra Kalyankar revealed that nearly 1.5 lakh rehabilitation units are planned in Dharavi alone, where some areas currently have one toilet for nearly 1,000 residents. The Dharavi Experience Centre is expected to be ready by August 15, with plans also underway for Mithi river beautification and Dharavi's development as a multimodal transport hub integrating airports, suburban rail, Metro corridors and the BEST network. The SRA alone is expected to add nearly seven lakh rehabilitation housing units by 2030, more than double the approximately 2.9 lakh units it created in the nearly two-and-a-half decades since its formation.
The redevelopment project will significantly enhance Mumbai's urban infrastructure and living conditions. According to reports from The Times of India, Mumbai is also expected to gain nearly 300 hectares of open spaces through ongoing promenade and racecourse development initiatives. The comprehensive approach ensures that cluster housing and integrated urban infrastructure will be delivered through coordinated efforts of multiple agencies to ensure comprehensive slum elimination across Mumbai while providing residents with improved infrastructure and amenities.
