Dharavi Redevelopment Project main issue

Spotlight on G wards: While the problems of missing drains and crumbling
public toilets in G North seem to be taking a back seat, in G South
unauthorised hawkers and garbage disposal will be the front issues
SIX Congress corporators, a Congress legislator and a Congress Member of
Parliament-that's who the state government will be counting on to garner
public support for what could be a global showcase scheme, the multi-crore
Dharavi Redevelopment Project. Conversely, if Dharavi doesn't return its
Congressmen to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, getting the now
unfortunately delayed project off the ground will be a politically thorny
affair.

That's why, the biggest item on the agenda for everybody campaigning in
Dharavi's multiple corporator wards (G North) is the redevelopment project.
"This will be my chief issue," says Raju Korde of the Dharavi Bachao Samiti,
who is contesting elections for the first time, with five other members of
the Samiti, all on CPM tickets.

In December 2006, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's signature was already
on the Expression of Interest document-global tenders were to be advertised
just 48 hours later-when the elections were suddenly announced and the code
of conduct stalled tendering. Korde says the redevelopment is welcome; he is
not disputing the need to rid Dharavi of its tag as Asia's largest slum.
"But people's consent is a must to any form of redevelopment," he says,
adding that "people will take to the streets in protest" if the residents of
Dharavi deliver a strong message to the Congress government through the
civic polls and the government still pursues the project in its current
form.

For the lakhs residing in Dharavi, there is little else to discuss right
now. Although completely missing drains, crumbling public toilets, the heaps
of garbage and the perennial problem of patchy road repair-issues that
corporator-hopefuls have repeatedly referred to-are still matters of
concern, they're now on the backburner.

Next door G South Ward, with its middle class colonies in Prabhadevi, Worli
and Mahim, will see a completely different set of issues-unauthorised
hawkers, traffic congestion in Lower Parel and Mahim, garbage disposal and
pollution. Better maintenance for Worli Seaface and Shivaji Park's sandy
stretch are ideas that will appeal to voters around Worli Dairy and
Prabhadevi, but even there, the universal water crisis and debris disposal
predicament will be the decisive agenda.

G-South: Mahim, Prabhadevi, TV Centre, Worli Village, Worli Dairy, Worli BDD
Chawl, Gandhi Nagar, Dawn Mills, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Shanti Nagar, Arthur
Road Jail, Parel BDD Chawl

Nine corporator wards: From 186 to 194, (No 187 is reserved for women, 188
and 193 for SC and 191 for OBC.)

G-North: Mahim Kala Killa, Dharavi, Western India Tanneries, Mahim Sonapur,
Labour Camp, Estrella Batteries, Rajarshi Shahu Nagar, Mahim Police

Quarters, Sitladevi Temple, Hinduja Hospital, Ruparel College, Matunga
Workshop, Kamgar Krida Kendra, Dadar railway station

Eleven corporator wards: From 175 to 185, (No 175 and 177 are reserved for
SC women, 178 for SC, 180 and 182 for women and 185 for OBC)

What They Need: Planned development for Dharavi, traffic management, more
water

URL : http://in.news.yahoo.com/070110/48/6b0yr.html