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HC rejects plea to exclude Koliwada land from Dharavi redevelopment project
The Bombay High Court dismissed a petition seeking to exclude about 200,830 sq m of Dharavi Koliwada land from the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, saying intervention was too late. It noted the DRP notification from 2016 and that rights had already been granted to multiple stakeholders, while allowing the Trust to submit a boundary representation, though with limited impact.
Why It Matters
The ruling clarifies boundaries for the Dharavi Koliwada within the DRP and affects rights and expectations of residents and stakeholders connected to the redevelopment.
Timeline
3 Events
April 18, 2026: Bombay High Court dismisses petition to exclude Koliwada land
April 18, 2026
The Bombay High Court, in a division bench led by Justices Makarand Karnik and SM Modak, rejected the Dharavi Koli Jamat Trust's petition seeking to exclude 200,830 sq m of Dharavi Koliwada land from the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. The court held it was too late to intervene, noted that the March 2016 DRP notification had attained finality, and that rights had already been granted to multiple stakeholders. It added that the land had, over time, lost its original character and become encroached or part of slum agglomerations. The court granted liberty to the trust to make a representation to earmark boundaries, but such a survey would likely have little consequence given the finality of the 2016 notification.
November 2018: Boundary committee for Dharavi Koliwada formed
November 2018
A committee of officials from the revenue and fisheries departments was set up in November 2018 to ascertain and finalise the outer boundaries of Dharavi Koliwada, including the gaothan and adjoining areas.
March 2016: State notification for Dharavi Redevelopment Project
March 2016
The state issued a notification for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), with work having been underway for a long time.