Maharashtra Clears Kurla Plot Transfer for Dharavi Redevelopment

The Maharashtra Cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to the terms of the land transfer agreement, paving the way for the transfer of an 8.5-hectare (21-acre) Dairy Development Department plot in Kurla to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP). The plot, which formerly housed the now-defunct state-run Mother Dairy unit, will be used to construct rehabilitation tenements for Dharavi’s ineligible residents.

The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, aligned the transfer agreement with the latest policy framework of the Housing and Urban Development Department. This amendment aims to facilitate smoother implementation of the Rs 20,000 crore DRP, one of India’s largest urban renewal initiatives.

The Kurla land was officially transferred through a government resolution on 14 June 2024 and will now be handed over to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project-Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP-SRA), which acts as the project’s planning authority.

Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) responsible for executing the redevelopment, recently sought environmental clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to construct rehabilitation housing on the Kurla plot, which contains a significant number of trees.

Dharavi’s redevelopment involves the rehabilitation of approximately 850,000 residents. While around 500,000 eligible families will be housed within the project’s 620-acre boundary, the remaining 350,000 ineligible or displaced families are to be resettled on alternative land.

The Kurla site is one of five plots, together covering 540 acres within and outside Mumbai, earmarked for this purpose. These plots will provide rental housing for ineligible residents, supplementing 118.4 acres within Dharavi reserved for commercial development and in-situ rehabilitation.

State officials said the Cabinet’s approved amendments are crucial to unlocking the Kurla plot for early rehabilitation construction. The move aligns with Maharashtra’s “Housing for All” mission and is expected to support not only housing but also civic infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and commercial spaces in the new rehabilitation zones.