Large protest against Adani’s Dharavi plan
THOUSANDS of protesters led by opposition parties marched towards billionaire Gautam Adani's offices in Mumbai on Saturday (16) to voice their opposition to his conglomerate's $614m redevelopment plans for one of Asia's largest slums in the city.
Protesters carried flags and banners with slogans such as ‘Remove Adani Save Dharavi' from the slum to Adani's premises in the central business district of India's financial capital.
‘We are not against development, but the way the Dharavi redevelopment is planned it will only benefit Adani and not the slum residents,' Baburao Mane, leader of Save Dharavi
Committee (Dharavi Bachao Andolan), said.
The protest comes amid growing political opposition to the state government - ruled by prime minister Narendra Modi's Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and allies - for giving undue favors to Adani firms in allotting and executing the slum overhaul contract.
A rival bidder - a Dubai-based consortium - has mounted a legal challenge alleging the Maharashtra government improperly cancelled an original 2018 tender for the slum redevelopment and favored Adani in giving the new contract.
The Dharavi project was awarded to the Adani Group through a fair, open and internationally competitive bidding process, the conglomerate said in statement late on Saturday evening. The state government has denied any wrongdoing and says the contract was awarded as per laws and policies.
Protesters have demanded that both eligible and non-eligible residents of the slum be housed inside the redeveloped area and be given bigger homes of 500 square feet, instead of the promised 300-350 sqft. Some protesters also want the government to take over the slum overhaul instead of private developers like Adani.
The Maharashtra state government in July approved Adani Group's bid to overhaul Dharavi, which is known for producing leather goods, following years of failed attempts.