MUMBAI: Residents of the historic Meghwadi chawl in Dharavi are not just opposing a redevelopment plan but are also facing a systematic campaign of intimidation and harassment aimed at displacing families who have lived there for generations. The issue escalated after an urgent seven-day eviction notice was issued by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) last December, with claims of local thugs, possibly politically motivated, pressuring residents to leave their homes.
The nearly 150-year-old Meghwadi chawl, formerly known as Central Railway Patra chawl, contains around 80 hutments housing approximately 350 residents, including many seniors and children. Many of them have ancestral ties to the area. Authorities state that the front structures of the chawl are within the alignment of the Dharavi Redevelopment Plan (DRP), which involves “rehabilitation work and realignment of a sewage pipeline.” However, residents argue that redevelopment efforts are being executed without any transparency or consent.
About a month ago, a one-page SRA notice was sent to around 40 residents ordering the removal of their structures and their relocation to a “transit camp” under the DRP. The notice states: “You are hereby informed that your structure located in Sector-2, Ganesh Nagar, Meghwadi falls within the final approved list under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project… Therefore, you are directed to shift to the designated transit camp and submit possession of your structure to this office within 7 days from the receipt of this notice.” It goes on to warn that failure to comply will result in forcible removal and legal action under the Maharashtra Slum Areas Act, 1971, as signed by Snehal Rahate, Deputy Collector and Competent Authority-2, Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
56-year-old Manish Lakum, whose family has lived in the chawl since before independence, questioned the authority: “How can they force us out? Why should we leave for the sake of others’ development?”
Shifting narratives
55-year-old Dheeraj Padaya noted a change in the officials’ promises: “Initially, we were told that three new buildings would be constructed, and we all would be accommodated in one. Now we hear that other displaced families from different projects are being moved there.”
46-year-old Umesh Lakum shared his frustration: “We received the eviction notice unexpectedly. They attempted to deliver it in person, but after we refused, they sent it by speed post. This feels like harassment from the SRA.”
Laxmi Soliya added, “They want to evict us at any cost. When we approach officials, we’re treated like beggars pleading for help. We don’t need redevelopment here; we don’t wish to relocate. If redevelopment is necessary, we demand homes within the same locality, retaining our ZIP code.”
No written assurance
“No one is willing to provide anything in writing—no clarity on our relocation, timing, or the size of the new housing,” Soliya stated.
Many residents, primarily from Kathiyawad in Gujarat, accused the authorities of sowing division among them by selectively designating some as “bonafide” occupants. Umesh explained, “We were once unified, but they’ve split us under the guise of ownership claims. Those who yielded to pressure became ‘bonafide’ residents, while those standing firm face eviction threats.”
Despite having long-standing documentation such as electricity bills and election cards, residents are being asked for proof dated post-2000. “We even have a survey receipt from 1990, yet they insist it’s insufficient,” Soliya lamented. With the specter of eviction looming and trust diminishing, the future of this historic chawl remains uncertain. Attempts to reach Rahate for comment went unanswered before publication.
