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Suicide threat, cries, gloom shroud Dharavi’s Meghwadi amid demolition drive: ‘Yanked my kid out of house’

The action is part of the ongoing exercise to clear Sector 6, where rehabilitation buildings are proposed under the redevelopment project. Residents gathered outside the houses and pleaded with officials to stop the demolition.

Residents of Dharavi’s Meghwadi area refuse to evict their houses as workers and officials from Dharavi Redevelopment Project try to demolish the houses. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Written by: Sabah Virani

3 min readAug 7, 2026 04:41 PM IST First published on: Aug 7, 2026 at 04:19 PM IST

A demolition drive under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) triggered protests in Meghwadi on Thursday, as residents tried to stop officials from razing 16 houses marked for eviction. The operation was partially halted after an elderly resident who threatened to end his life collapsed and local Congress MLA Jyoti Gaikwad intervened, but was eventually completed, with 14 homes demolished and two promised to be handed over peacefully.

Officials of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), accompanied by police, began the demolition around 11 am after the occupants failed to vacate their homes despite notices issued under the Maharashtra Slum Areas Act, 1971. The action is part of the ongoing exercise to clear Sector 6, where rehabilitation buildings are proposed under the redevelopment project. Residents gathered outside the houses and pleaded with officials to stop the demolition.

Residents gathered outside the houses and pleaded with officials to stop the demolition. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Some family members remained inside even as workers began dismantling parts of the structures and disconnecting water and sewerage connections. During the protest, resident Bipin Padaya threatened to commit suicide before collapsing. He was taken to hospital, where his condition was stable.

Bipin Padaya threatened to commit suicide before collapsing (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Residents said they were not opposed to the redevelopment project but wanted transit accommodation instead of the monthly transit rent being offered. They said the rent was insufficient to find homes close to their workplaces and children’s schools and expressed concerns over whether the payments would continue until rehabilitation was completed.

“They yanked my child out of the house,” said Savita Reddy, a tenant whose house was being demolished. House owner Suresh Parmar claimed he had not received any demolition notice. The demolition follows months of negotiations between residents, the SRA and Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited (ANDPL).

A boy takes his books and other belongings as DRP officials begin demolition at Dharavi (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

In July, authorities issued eviction notices to 123 residents who had not agreed to vacate. According to officials, all but 16 families eventually shifted.

Residents, however, maintained that they had not received adequate clarity on their rehabilitation and wanted assurances about their permanent homes and the continuity of transit rent. Officials have said transit accommodation cannot be provided because of the lack of available housing and that eligible residents are being paid monthly rent, along with brokerage and an annual increase.

Around 1 pm, Congress MLA Jyoti Gaikwad reached the site and held discussions with officials. The demolition was subsequently slowed and later stopped, with action carried out only on houses that had already been vacated. A meeting between residents and SRA Chief Executive

Officer Mahendra Kalyankar has been scheduled on Friday to discuss the remaining structures.

Sabah Virani

Sabah Virani is a journalist with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau, covering infrastructure, housin... Read More