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| Dharavi residents skeptical of slum |
| ''We want change, but we want more than 225 square feet.
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| INDIA
, 24-July-2007
1:37:30 AM |
| The idea of turning Dharavi into a paradise has divided this massive slum right down the middle. Some here say that it's chance for them to live with dignity in proper apartments.
However, others warn that Mumbai has a long history of slums makeover scams and that Dharavi may not be the biggest makeover but the biggest land grab the city has ever seen.
''We want change, but we want more than 225 square feet. Now we pay maintenance of Rs 100 per month. When the buildings come up, it will go up to maybe Rs 500. But the size of the room will be about the same. So why should we move? It's better to stay here,'' said Michael Selvan, Dharavi resident.
However, his bigger worry is that the plan is shrouded in mystery.
''We just heard that buildings will be coming up. We don't know how they will come up. The government is not telling us anything,'' Selvan added.
Instead of making their plan clear the state has made a shocking claim. It does not need the consent of locals for the Dharavi plan.
Till now for all Slum Rehabilitation Schemes in the city the consent of 70 per cent residents has been mandatory, an attempt to make the schemes more transparent and democratic.
''A government notification in 2002 said that you don't need consent when the government acts as a developer, according to the law. The argument is that the state is the guarantor that people will get homes, so consent is not required,'' said I S Chahal, Officer on Special Duty, Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
It's a stance that has seen the birth of the Dharavi Bachao Andolan.
''The government wants to develop this land in Mumbai. It doesn't want development for the people. If it did it would consult them, place the plan in front of them and take their opinion,'' said Raju Korde, Dharavi Bachao Andolan.
Earlier plans discredited
The reason why there is so much mistrust against slum rehabilitation schemes in Mumbai is their history.
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