Mumbai, Jan 15 (IANS): In a significant development, the Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL) has announced that all the eligible residential tenements in Dharavi would get independent flats with a minimum 350 sqft each.

This is at least 17 per cent more than, and the highest among all slum redevelopment projects in Mumbai, said the DRPPL -- a joint venture between Adani Group and Maharashtra government.

Earlier, the dwellers of informal settlements in the state were allotted houses measuring 269 sqft, and from 2018 it was raised to between 315 sqft and 322 sqft, as mandated under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for homes for the urban poor.

“The new flats will be dream homes for all Dharavikars and will upgrade their living conditions. Every home will reflect the spirit of a Dharavikar, whose aspirations have always mirrored those of a common Mumbaikar. The DRPPL is committed to fulfilling these dreams and aspirations while keeping the very soul of Dharavi intact,” said a DRPPL spokesperson.

Eligible residential tenements are those that were in existence before January 1, 2000, and under the redeveloped avatar, each flat will have a separate kitchen and an in-built independent toilet, and will be well-lit, ventilated, and hygienic, besides being secure.

The DRPPL said its endeavour is to transform Dharavi into a globally connected city with commercial and industrial premises, keeping its vibrant and unique entrepreneurial culture intact.

Besides the homes, reforming the lives of Dharavikars, economic opportunities, futuristic education and vocational training, advanced healthcare facilities and a quality lifestyle would also be enabled at Dharavi -- in the heart of central Mumbai -- and Navi Dharavi, to be developed in different places.

There will be community halls, recreational areas, public gardens, dispensaries and daycare centres for children.

Additionally, the ineligible residential tenements in Dharavi would be given accommodation under the proposed affordable rental housing policy, as per the Government of Maharashtra’s defined norms.

For this, a development similar to Dharavi would be undertaken in several Navi Dharavis being planned, considering the large requirement of dwelling units.

DRPPL has taken up the challenge to transform Dharavi, Asia’s biggest slum, which will set new benchmarks in slum rehabilitation and urban rejuvenation for the rest of the world to follow, along with several other stakeholders.

Similar best practices are being followed in Singapore and other advanced nations for similar habitats, said the DRPPL.

The DRPPL is a Special Purpose Vehicle, formed between the Adani Group and the Maharashtra government last year, to develop Dharavi and upgrade the lives of locals by providing them modern housing and preserving their inherent entrepreneurial spirit.

This would comprise rebuilding spaces and reinventing the very essence of community living, dovetailing state-of-the-art imperatives of transportation connectivity, electricity, water, and Internet while enabling a hygienic environment with civic amenities, all benchmarked with the best in class, said the spokesperson.