Bombay High Court Dismisses PIL Challenging Salt Pan Land Transfer for Dharavi Redevelopment

Mumbai — The Bombay High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the transfer of salt pan land for the ambitious Dharavi Redevelopment Project. The PIL had objected to the allocation of around 283 acres of salt pan land, citing environmental concerns and procedural lapses.
The court, however, found no merit in the arguments raised by the petitioner and observed that the land transfer was in line with the government’s redevelopment policy aimed at transforming Asia’s largest slum cluster into a modern urban township.
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, worth over ₹20,000 crore, aims to provide better housing, infrastructure, and amenities to thousands of residents living in substandard conditions. The salt pan land in question is located in the eastern suburbs and has been earmarked as a key component for rehabilitation and redevelopment efforts.
With this verdict, the legal hurdle to one of India’s largest urban renewal plans has been cleared, allowing the state government and Adani Group-led developer consortium to proceed with the next phase of the project.