Iconic ‘Dhobi Ghat’ to get a facelift, be freed of slum encroachment
The iconic Dhobi Ghat is all set to get a facelift by freeing itself from the slum encroachment. This has been made possible after two city-based real estate groups have come forward to take up the redevelopment project of Dhobi Ghat located at Mahalaxmi in Mumbai.
The project work involves rehabilitating the slum dwellers and giving a facelift to the open laundry which was constructed during the British period in 1890. This redevelopment project has been taken up jointly by both Piramal Realty and Omkar Realtors and Developers. Last week, they both signed an agreement where Piramal group is set to invest Rs 2600 crore and it would receive at least 60 percent revenue share in this project work.
This firm is set to handle the construction and the sales of inventory and the other group would obtain all approvals and construct the rehabilitation buildings.
There are at least 4000 slum tenements and at least 20,000 dhobi community members residing in the slum areas of Dhobi Ghat.
Anand Piramal, Founder, Piramal Realty, said: “This is a great time for institutionalized players with strong track record to grow and expand their footprint. With unrestricted views of the Race Course and the Sea, this project promises to be citys most prestigious residential project. We intend to build a world-class development that sets a new benchmark for design, quality in Mumbai.”
The Dhobi Kalyan and Audhyogik Vikas Cooperative Society, which represents washermen have estimated the annual turnover of the ‘Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat’ at Rs 100 crore. The Piramal Realty has appointed CallisonRTKL, a global architecture for planning and design architecture for this project.
Sources said the details about the planning involved in the redevelopment project is yet being chalked out by both the groups. There are at least 7000 people are involved in the work of scrubbing, drying them on ropes and pressing them before transporting them to various parts in the city. They work for at least 18 to 20 hours each day and more than one lakh clothes are washed on a daily basis.
Currently, large mechanical washing and drying machines have been installed at Dhobi Ghat as several washermen have given up on manual cleaning. Through this redevelopment project, the famous tourist attraction of Dhobi Ghat is all set to get a new look of their open laundry.The washermen are known to collect clothes from places between Colaba to Virar.
Two city-based real estate groups have come forward to take up the redevelopment project of Dhobi Ghat located at Mahalaxmi. The project involves rehabilitating the slumdwellers and giving a facelift to the open laundry which was constructed during the British period in 1890.