Asia’s Largest Slum Faces Demolition as Mumbai Pushes $1B Redevelopment Plan

Mumbai’s Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum and home to nearly one million people, is on the verge of being razed under a massive redevelopment project led by city authorities and billionaire tycoon Gautam Adani.

For residents like 58-year-old government worker Bipinkumar Padaya, the project means leaving behind generations of family history. “I was born here, my father was born here, my grandfather was born here,” he said. “But we don’t have any choice, we have to vacate.”

Bulldozers are expected to soon flatten Dharavi’s maze of crowded lanes, home workshops, and small factories. The plan envisions modern housing and infrastructure, but many residents fear being pushed out with little compensation.

Authorities say families who lived in Dharavi before 2000 will receive free housing, while those who arrived between 2000 and 2011 can purchase units at subsidized rates. However, locals argue that developers are prioritizing high-end projects over the community. “They are cheating us,” Padaya claimed.

Spread across 240 hectares, Dharavi has one of the highest population densities in the world — around 350,000 people per square kilometer. Despite poor living conditions, the settlement is an economic powerhouse, with potters, tanners, recyclers, and garment workers fueling informal industries worth an estimated $1 billion annually.

Dharavi has long been emblematic of Mumbai’s contradictions — a hub of enterprise and resilience, yet a symbol of poverty. Its notoriety grew globally after being depicted in the 2008 Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

For many residents, however, Dharavi is more than a slum. “We live in a slum, but we’re very happy here. And we don’t want to leave,” Padaya said.

Redevelopment is already underway, with cranes rising over makeshift homes. Project officials insist the overhaul will transform Dharavi into a “city within a city,” but for its residents, the future remains uncertain.