Mumbai: The Adani-led Dharavi Rehabilitation Project (DRP) achieved a key milestone with the receipt of a commencement certificate from BMC for the construction of railway quarters on railway-owned land.
According to sources, groundwork is set to begin within a month, and the railway quarters are expected to be completed within two years.
Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA) CEO SVR Srinivas told TOI, “The First Commencement Certificate has been obtained for the project. It’s a milestone.”
Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) handed over the land parcels measuring 27.57 acres, including the scrapyard land near Mahim station on March 13, 2024, to Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), which is a state govt’s nodal agency for executing this project. The project is spread across 600 acres of land and is home to nearly 12 lakh people.
This marks the first construction activity initiated under the Dharavi Rehabilitation Project since the Adani Group, through Navbharat Mega Developers, formerly Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Limited (DRPPL), secured the ambitious venture.
DRP will first hand over buildings to the railway before providing rehabilitation tenements to eligible residents in Dharavi. DRP assured the railways that it will build the entire complex spread across around one million square feet in three years after receiving the commencement certificate.
The proposed complex and Dharavi township is going to be designed by renowned architect Hafeez Contractor. The complex includes four multi-storeyed apartments, of which three will be 36 floors (821 flats) with modern amenities, a vast sport cum recreation complex, and a contemporary administrative building.
DRP already paid Rs 1,000 crore to the railway for this land parcel. Another Rs 2,800 crore will be handed over to the railways after 17 years by way of minimum revenue sharing from the proceeds of Dharavi redevelopment.
Currently, the 27.57 acres of railway land includes 15 acres of encroached land by 5,000 tenements, where DRP is currently conducting its survey to gather data for the state govt that will determine the eligibility criteria for rehabilitation under the proposed redevelopment project.
The Adani Group won the bid in November 2022 to redevelop Dharavi with an initial equity investment of Rs 5,069 crore. A fresh survey is underway since March 2024 to determine the eligibility. So far, DRP completed markings of approximately 75,000 houses and verified documents of approximately 35,000 tenements as part of its survey.