New Delhi: On Gandhi Jayanti, marking Mahatma Gandhi’s 157th birth anniversary, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the Dharavi Experience Centre, where residents could step inside sample homes, explore a 3D walkthrough of the proposed township and see how housing, livelihoods, public amenities and open spaces are planned to come together. He also unveiled a Dharavi anthem and released a coffee table book celebrating the neighbourhood, one of Asia’s largest informal settlements, and its more than one million residents.
Spread across 22,500 sq ft, the Dharavi Experience Centre gives residents a first-hand look at the redevelopment through life-size home models, digital displays and interactive exhibits. It brings together the different elements of the plan, from homes and workplaces to transport and community infrastructure.
A detailed 3D walkthrough takes visitors through the wider neighbourhood, showing residential and commercial areas, roads, transport links, public amenities and open spaces. Interactive exhibits trace Dharavi’s history and highlight the businesses and entrepreneurial activity that have shaped its identity and contributed to Mumbai’s economy.
At the heart of the centre are life-size sample homes. Visitors can walk through unfurnished and fully furnished 350 sq ft and 500 sq ft apartments, experience the proposed layouts and understand how the spaces could be used.
The redevelopment plan seeks to retain Dharavi’s close link between homes and livelihoods, while providing schools, healthcare facilities, places of worship, public transport, parks and other social infrastructure. The plan also includes a Multimodal Transport Hub designed to bring different modes of transport together and improve connectivity for residents and other Mumbaikars.
The centre also highlights the proposed rejuvenation of the Mithi river, around 40,000 trees across Dharavi and a 3.3-km public riverfront. The plan also provides for parks and open spaces, adding more greenery and public areas to the neighbourhood.
Digital and assisted channels at the centre provide information on surveys, eligibility, documentation and rehabilitation, helping residents understand the provisions and processes that will shape their homes and livelihoods.
