Babulal Varma, Managing Director, Omkar Realtors & Developers
There are many initiatives taken for the overall development of the slum dweller rather than just housing them. It is this gesture of ours which has helped us acquire more and more projects for redevelopment. We now have the slum dwellers approaching us, for us to redevelop their site. We on our own have also gone ahead and are now even getting the redevelopment buildings constructed by companies like L&T.
We are proud of this bond which we have created between the slum dwellers and us and have completely changed the outlook people had towards slum development. It is no more an exploitation of the poor by the rich, it is no more a one way street housing only for the ones who can afford high prices. It is no more breaking you from your social fabric; it is no more of sharing common toilets and living in unhygienic conditions. It is no more of exploitation and use of force to clear slums.
We as concerned and responsible developers are proud to say that it is now about partnership in progress and beautification of the city. It is now about overall development. It is now about creating space for infrastructure and growth while maintaining the social infrastructure and uplifting the lives of the slum dwellers.
While, on one side there is no land available for any of the development activity, this 50 per dent land of Mumbai under the slums is enough of a raw material for the next many years to come. Added to this are the old buildings and society developments which are giving away and thus need immediate attention.
We have realized that if you take the people along with you and look after them well, you can create a lot of goodwill and thus make this dream project of the Mumbai Government and every Mumbaikar, to be the next Shanghai “A Dream come true.”
