Adjacent to Mumbai’s airport lies Dharavi, South Asia’s largest slum. Maharashtra’s government has launched multiple initiatives since 1980 to relocate its residents, but none succeeded. The latest effort comes from India’s billionaire Gautam Adani, who has partnered with the state government through Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Limited (DRPPL). Yet most Dharavi residents oppose the plan.
Indian analysts and Dharavi locals say Adani’s investment is driven largely by the land’s value. Its proximity to the airport and upscale neighborhoods makes it highly desirable. In 2022, the state government scrapped the previous redevelopment tender and awarded the project to Adani Properties with a new bid of 50.7 billion rupees. The cancellation of the 2018 allocation sparked controversy. That allocation had gone to Dubai-based Seclink Technologies Corporation. Critics accused then-Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s government of altering the tender conditions to favor Adani. Opposition leaders claimed the cancellation served Adani’s interests. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi compared the award to Adani with the East India Company’s colonial control of India. Former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray pledged that if the opposition returned to power in Maharashtra, the project would be taken from Adani.
Speaking at Adani Enterprises Limited’s 33rd annual general meeting in June 2025, Gautam Adani said that Asia’s largest slum is being reimagined as India’s most ambitious urban redevelopment project. He claimed that Dharavi social mission is improving youth through skills development, healthcare, and employment programs, and that more than one million people will move from narrow lanes to a township with wider streets, dual toilets, open spaces, schools, hospitals, transit hubs, and parks.
Plans for Dharavi’s redevelopment include a large, active open space at the slum’s center, designed not only for residents’ recreation but also to serve other Mumbai citizens. The space is intended as a venue where Dharavi and Mumbai residents can gather for celebrations and festivals. The project envisions transforming Dharavi into a transit-oriented development, featuring a new metro corridor and seamless multimodal connectivity. A multimodal transit hub (MMTH) will be constructed at the center, providing easy access to metro rail, buses, and other transport modes.
Located in central Mumbai, Dharavi has existed for more than a century. The densely populated slum covers 2.1 square kilometers, packed with thousands of small single- and double-story tin-roofed houses, narrow lanes, tiny workshops, and recycling industries. Neighborhoods such as Kumbharwada, 13th Compound, Rajiv Nagar, and Koliwada are known for specific trades. Thousands of small businesses operate in pottery, leather goods, plastic recycling, food preparation, and textiles along streets barely a few feet wide. Despite its small area, Dharavi’s population density ranks it among the world’s most crowded slums. Government and private data estimate between 600,000 and 1 million residents, creating densities of several hundred thousand per square kilometer.
The first redevelopment concept for Dharavi emerged in 1980. But no meaningful progress occurred over the past 45 years. Residents have historically distrusted the government and development agencies. Many feared they might not regain their land once evicted. Indian media reports indicate that residents remain skeptical about Adani’s current redevelopment efforts.
Dharavi, South Asia’s largest slum, adjacent to Mumbai’s airport Photo: REUTERS
A November 6 report in The Guardian highlighted residents’ fears and anxieties. Many refuse to leave Dharavi. Their primary concern is losing community ties. A second concern involves moving from low-cost slum housing to high-end flats, which could increase daily living expenses. Some fear this financial pressure might force them to abandon the new flats and return to the slum.
Urban planning experts in Bangladesh note that Korail, the country’s largest slum, has long drawn the attention of influential actors. Every government that has come to power has proposed preliminary projects for the area. Unlike in India, where wealthy investors like Gautam Adani have publicly taken the lead on Dharavi’s redevelopment, no private magnate has seized control of Korail. Development initiatives have instead consistently remained government-led.
Analysts say past proposals for Korail included 30-story tower building and IT villages. One such project was considered even during the caretaker government of 2011. Urban planners caution that while these projects are officially government initiatives, influential vested interests are always involved behind the scenes. Given Korail’s proximity to upscale neighborhoods like Gulshan, it is almost inevitable that wealthy groups would take interest in its vast land.
Fires have plagued Korail since the 1990s, recurring annually or every few years. Authorities have often cited electrical short circuits or cooking accidents as causes. Some residents, however, have long expressed suspicion, mainly due to discussions from various organizations for repurposing the land for other uses. But no evidence has linked these fires to deliberate actions.
During discussions in 2012 to build an IT village on Korail land, a major fire destroyed over a thousand homes. Most recently, on November 26, 2025, a fire razed roughly 1,500 houses. Rumors quickly spread across social media. In response, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, the chief adviser’s special assistant, confirmed that the interim government has no plans to construct any structures on Korail land.
Dr. Adil Muhammed Khan, executive director of the Institute of Planning and Development (IPD), said the possibility of vested interests behind recurring fires cannot be dismissed. Speaking to Bonik Barta, he said, “Whenever a fire occurs in Korail, speculation arises that it was intentionally set. In the past, certain political figures affiliated with the ruling party have profited from activities in the slum—house sales, drugs, and political shows of strength. That is why Korail is important to them. Media reports have repeatedly highlighted who controls Korail and who engages in criminal activity there, yet no government has issued a white paper to clarify these matters.”
Dr. Khan added that the likelihood of Korail developing along the lines of Mumbai’s Dharavi is extremely low. “In the Bangladeshi context, I don’t see that possibility,” he told Bonik Barta. “What makes Korail unique is that whenever authorities attempt evictions on any pretext, hundreds of thousands of residents mobilize. The high court has also ruled that eviction cannot violate residents’ right to housing. In that context, Korail is unlikely to follow Dharavi’s path. Of course, if any government were genuinely determined, it could be possible. But even after fires, residents do not relinquish their land. This is a very distinct characteristic of Korail. Their last refuge is here, and even at great risk to their lives, they strive to hold onto it—and so far, they have succeeded.”
Urban planners note that, like Dharavi in Mumbai, Korail residents play a crucial role in Dhaka’s economy. They argue that modern urban planning recognizes the significance of slum populations. Residents do more than support communities in upscale areas such as Gulshan and Banani; they sustain the city’s operations across transportation, housing, offices, courts, construction, markets, and commerce. Planners say such a large labor force cannot be ignored in mainstream urban considerations.
In his research “Dhaka: From City to Megacity,” Professor Nazrul Islam describes Korail not as a spontaneous settlement but as an informal housing system shaped by political patronage. Its growth was gradual — filling lakes, dumping earth, and negotiating with government officials to expand its boundaries. Korail is not merely a refuge for the city’s vulnerable today; it has also become a significant arena for power and commercial influence.
Professor Islam told Bonik Barta, “Every government that has come to power has paid some attention to Korail. Even the caretaker government initiated a project there. Future elected governments may also pursue new initiatives. But no project has succeeded. I believe the priority should be the residents themselves and ensuring safe housing through government initiatives. Repeatedly putting their lives and homes at risk serves no purpose.”
Dr. Akter Mahmud, professor of urban and regional planning at Jahangirnagar University (JU), emphasized that Korail’s future remains unresolved. “I do not believe Korail is heading down Dharavi’s path,” he said. “Governments periodically tell residents stories of development; 20-story buildings, large open fields, half allocated to the government, half to residents. These promises are unrealistic. Instead of such projections, immediate focus should be on solving residents’ pressing problems. Addressing education, healthcare, sanitation, drinking water, and fire safety according to proper planning will be far more effective.”