In Mumbai, Asia's largest slum is up for sale

"I was born here, my father was born here and my grandfather before them," sighs the owner. "But I have no choice, I'm going to have to leave."

Soon, bulldozer blades will begin flattening the filthy alleyways of Asia's largest slum, in the heart of the Indian megacity of Mumbai (west), to make way for a brand new neighborhood.

Led by local authorities and billionaire Gautam Adani, this urban renewal plan is a reflection of India: disproportionate, ambitious, and brutal.

If it goes ahead, a large proportion of the million residents and artisans who now crowd into Dharavi will have vacated the area.

"They said they would give us housing first, then develop the area," laments Bipinkumar Padaya, 58. "But they already want to evict us. They lied to us."

On the edge of the neighborhood, this local official occupies a one-story house wedged into a tangle of dirt tunnels so narrow that the sun barely manages to shed any light.

His ancestors settled there in the 19th century. The place was then just a fishing village, which grew anarchically until it was swallowed up by Bombay and its 22 million inhabitants.

Covering 240 hectares, Dharavi has nearly 350.000 inhabitants per square kilometer. A stifling labyrinth where homes, businesses, and workshops are intermingled.

"Happy"

Over the years, the slum has become the largest factory in India's second-largest city. Tanners, potters, and recyclers work there day and night, generating an annual turnover estimated at one billion dollars.

British director Danny Boyle made Dharavi famous with his film "Slumdog Millionaire." A caricature, residents lament.

"The sewers are overflowing, there's no drinking water, and when it rains, everything floods," says Bipinkumar Padaya. "We live in a slum, but we're happy here."

The first cranes have appeared near his home. The renovation of Dharavi is underway, and SVR Srinivas promises that it will be exemplary.

"It's not about modernizing a slum, but about building a real city within the city," enthuses the head of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP).

In his brochures, the brand-new small buildings stand amidst paved streets, green spaces and shopping malls.

A glossy dream that, Mr. Srinivas assures, will leave no one behind.

"Each family will have a home, if possible in Dharavi itself," he vows. "The others will be relocated elsewhere in Mumbai. As for the businesses, they will all be able to stay."

But not under any conditions.

Families who arrived before 2000 will be rehoused free of charge. Those who arrived between 2000 and 2011 will be able to buy a house at a "low price." Others will be able to rent new homes elsewhere in the city.

More space

Another condition is that only ground-floor occupants will benefit from this offer. Today, 50% of residents live or work on illegally constructed floors.

Manda Sunil Bhave is lucky enough to meet the requirements. She's looking forward to leaving the tiny two-room apartment where she doesn't even have room to unfold a bed.

"We were promised a house with a toilet. My dream..." confides the 50-year-old woman in her blue sari.

But many of his neighbors will have to pack their bags.

A prospect rejected by Ullesh Gajakosh, who organized the resistance with the "Save Dharavi" campaign.

"We demand a new house in exchange for every existing house, a shop for every shop," he shouts. "We don't want to be kicked out of Dharavi in ​​the name of development!"

In his fight, he can count on the businesses in the neighborhood.

Abbas Zakaria Galwani is one of these dissenters. Along with most of Dharavi's 4.000 potters, he refused to participate in the census of his property.

"We're being offered the same floor space we currently occupy. But I'm on three floors," he complains. "If Adani doesn't give us enough space in Dharavi or makes us move, it's our turn."

"Disaster"

Adani. More than local authorities, it is the wealthy founder of the eponymous industrial group who is the focus of criticism.

His fortune has grown exponentially since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. It was no surprise that he won the contract to renovate Dharavi, promising to invest €5 billion.

An 80% shareholder in the operation, the group estimates the cost of the rehabilitation at 7 to 8 billion dollars and hopes to complete it in seven years.

Gautam Adani has pledged to "create a new Dharavi of dignity, security, and inclusion." But his critics don't believe him.

In a city where every square meter is becoming increasingly expensive, they accuse him of having made a very good deal. Dharavi opens the doors of the local real estate market wide for him.

"This project is not intended to improve people's lives, only the business of a few," says Shweta Damle, head of a local NGO.

"The residents cannot afford the housing we are going to offer them," she continues. "Three-quarters of the population will have to leave (...) for sites where nothing is planned to accommodate them. It's a disaster."

"Dharavi may look romantic from the outside, but stay there for a night and you'll see how inhuman it is," SVR Srinivas tells him. "No one will lose anything," he repeats.

In his small house, Bipinkumar Padaya doesn't believe it. "I don't want to be left homeless," he insists, "so I won't leave until I'm sure I have another one."