Dharavi residents march against Adani and Maharashtra govt

Thousands of residents of Mumbai's Dharavi, widely regarded as Asia’s largest slum, took out a massive protest march on 4 May against the alleged “dubious role” of the Adani Group and the Maharashtra government in the Dharavi redevelopment project.

Despite heavy police deployment, the rally proceeded from Kumbharwada in Dharavi to the Adani office in Matunga. Protesters, carrying banners of the Dharavi Bachao Andolan, raised slogans of 'Adani hatao, Dharavi bachao'. The march was led by Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad.

Taking an aggressive stance, Gaikwad described the redevelopment project as a “major scam”. She alleged that the government was declaring Dharavi residents ineligible in order to benefit the Adani Group and was “conspiring to render them homeless”. She claimed that the ongoing survey in Dharavi was violating norms, with residents being marked ineligible without consultation.

Gaikwad also questioned the proposed transfer of valuable Mumbai land — such as salt pan areas, mudflats in Malvani, and Deonar — in the name of the Dharavi project. Alleging a Modi–Adani nexus, she accused the Mahayuti government of altering rules to facilitate land transfers. She added that the agitation would continue until Dharavi residents receive their due rights.

Protesters demanded that all residents — eligible or otherwise — be provided housing within Dharavi itself, with 500 sq. ft homes in exchange for existing dwellings, along with equivalent compensation for shops and warehouses. They also called for transparency in the survey process and opposed any forced displacement outside Dharavi.

Gaikwad clarified that neither she nor the residents opposed redevelopment per se, but objected to the current model and survey process. “There is manipulation in the survey, and a conspiracy to render 96 per cent of Dharavi residents ineligible,” she alleged. She further claimed that middlemen were active in the area and that residents were being intimidated by the police.

Alleging a lack of transparency in the redevelopment process, she asserted that Dharavi belongs to its residents. “This land is theirs, these homes are theirs, and they will not leave,” she said, adding that locals must be consulted in the project.

Gaikwad termed the redevelopment exercise “one of the biggest land scams” under the guise of urban renewal, accusing the government of tweaking rules to favour the Adani Group. She said Dharavi residents were self-reliant and questioned the role of “outsiders” in shaping their future. “They cannot be pushed onto dumping grounds,” she said, adding that the struggle would continue until residents are ensured dignified rehabilitation.