Page 64 - SHELTER

POLICY REVIEW
in booming real estate and
second, it consolidates a stake
in society and is helpful to win
votes. Apart from that there were
four main factors behind this
decision (Alan Gilbert, 2014): (a)
Displacement by using violent
means; (b) Displacement due to
conditions created by natural
disaster; (c) The ineffectiveness
of subsidies and credit; and (d)
Politics.
If we evaluate these scenarios in
the context of Dharavi, we will be
able to relate the consequences of
these situations. As mentioned
above, the research had examined
Mumbai’s scenario by a vision of
a World class city narrating the
need of resettlement to address
slums. In 1985, the PMGP scheme
which was an initiative by Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi had set
the benchmark for initiating
the redevelopment process in
Dharavi. To initiate the scheme,
the former Prime Minister had
sanctioned Rs. 100 crore for the
improvement of infrastructure
and housing known as Prime
Minister’s Grant fund for the
whole island city of Bombay,
out of which 1/3rd part of funds
were reserved for Dharavi.
The agenda of the scheme was
to minimise the relocation,
encourage them to contribute
financially and work as co-
operative housing societies by
taking responsibilities of design,
construction and maintenance.
But this scheme could not give
effective results as the beneficiary
could not afford the prices of
62 HUDCO-HSMI Publication
homes, was not cooperative
because of trust factor or lack
of knowledge; there was also a
delay in accessibility of funds
and subsidies. This resulted
into poor housing delivery
and piecemeal development
proved hard to maintain
sustainability (Vinit Mukhija,
2001; Bishwapriya Sanyal, 2001;
Rohit Jagdale, 2014).
Lately this scheme had evolved
through its responses and today
it is known as SRA scheme.
SRA allows flexibility to carry
out self-help redevelopment
as well as developer oriented
development. So, a community
as a ‘co-operative housing
society’ can also develop their
land or they can appoint an
external actor or an NGO or a
contractor, as per the will of
the community.The entire land
of Dharavi is so huge that it
opens out many complexities
like Land politics as it is located
on a prime land, community
internal disputes and divergent
aspirations of stakeholders etc.
So, it requires a tailor-made
operational model which can
understand and will be able to
deal with such complexities.
DRP Goals
Dharavi redevelopment
project is a land use proposal
sanctioned by the Government
of Maharashtra in 2003-2004
aiming to contribute towards
‘World Class City’. (Dharavi
Notified Area: Planning
Proposals 2016) The project
is providing cross-subsidised
housing which is also known as
‘free housing’, upgraded high-
rise housing, better services
and infrastructure to the slum
dwellers. But residents had
rejected the proposal through a
protest (Vandana Baweja, 2015)
and demanded for involvement
into the planning process to
safeguard their livelihood,
provision of job opportunities
in case of shutting polluting
industries and had shown
aspirations for bigger homes,
zero maintenance as now they
would be paying a minimal
amount as a rent. (REDHARAVI,
2010). The spatial characteristics
of Dharavi like living spaces,
workspaces, storage spaces,
everyday activity spaces are
peculiar in nature. (Kalpana
Sharma, 2000) So, DRP should
bring light on these characteristics
of Dharavi and give flexibility to
obtain community responsive
spaces. Vandana Baweja says,
‘The project is emblematic of
class welfare over architectural
typologies, urban space,
urbanism, and the role of the
state in making world class
cities.’ If we look into the larger
vision of a ‘World Class City’,
it aims to focus on increasing
Mumbai’s economic growth
to make Mumbai as a ‘vibrant
international metropolis’
comparable to world class levels
while aiming to provide quality
of life to its citizens (A Bombay
First – McKinsey Report, 2003).
So, the target is to make Mumbai