Dharavi Redevelopment: 40,000 trees, 3.3-km Mithi riverfront planned by ANDPL
Synopsis
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is going beyond concrete — ANDPL's plan to rejuvenate 40,000 trees inside Dharavi, build a 3.3-km Mithi River promenade, and plant two lakh compensatory trees across MMR signals that one of Asia's largest slum rehabilitation efforts is staking a serious claim on environmental credibility, not just housing numbers.
Key Takeaways
ANDPL will rejuvenate 40,000 trees within Dharavi in phases as part of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
A 3.3-km public promenade along the Mithi River — from the Matunga culvert to the Mithi riverfront — will include viewing decks, cafes, and cultural spaces.
Nearly two lakh compensatory trees will be planted across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) ; 30,000 trees already planted at Chahade village, Palghar .
Environmental consultancy Terracon will manage planting and maintenance for five years , submitting survival reports every six months .
The project targets planting approximately 75,000 trees this monsoon season; all costs borne by ANDPL .
ANDPL is a joint SPV of the Government of Maharashtra and the Adani Group .
Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited (ANDPL), the Special Purpose Vehicle driving the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), announced on Monday, 3 August that it will rejuvenate 40,000 trees within Dharavi and develop a 3.3-kilometre public promenade along the Mithi River as part of a sweeping green-blue urban network. The initiative aims to bring healthier, more accessible public spaces to one of Mumbai's most densely populated neighbourhoods.
The Green-Blue Vision for Dharavi
At the heart of the plan is the rejuvenation of the Mithi River, which will anchor a connected network of green infrastructure across the redeveloped township. The 3.3-km riverfront promenade will stretch from the Matunga culvert to the Mithi riverfront and will be open to all Mumbaikars. It will feature viewing decks, cafes, and cultural spaces, while preserving the river's ecological character.
The riverfront design incorporates native trees, pollution-absorbing vegetation, permeable paving, and bioswales — engineered to improve stormwater management, increase groundwater recharge, and support the river ecosystem's long-term health, according to an ANDPL official.
Tree Rejuvenation and Compensatory Plantation
Around 40,000 trees will be rejuvenated in phases within Dharavi itself. Beyond the project boundary, nearly two lakh compensatory trees will be planted across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). ANDPL has already planted 30,000 trees at Chahade village in Palghar, as sufficient land was not available within Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits, the official noted. The project targets planting close to 75,000 trees during this monsoon season alone.
Environmental consultancy Terracon has been appointed to oversee scientific planting, irrigation, protection, and maintenance for five years. The agency will submit mandatory survival reports every six months under the afforestation programme. The entire cost of plantation and maintenance will be borne by ANDPL.
Connected Network of Green Spaces
The Mithi riverfront will link with the project's broader green infrastructure, including a 15-metre-wide Green Spine dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists, a large Central Park, and several neighbourhood parks distributed across Dharavi. 'These green spaces have been planned as one connected network. Together with the rejuvenated Mithi River, they will improve air circulation, reduce the urban heat island effect and create cleaner, healthier and more accessible public spaces for residents,' the ANDPL official said.
About ANDPL and the DRP
ANDPL is a Special Purpose Vehicle established for the implementation of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, with the Government of Maharashtra and the Adani Group as shareholders. The green-blue network represents one component of a larger urban transformation that positions Dharavi's redevelopment as a model for environmentally sensitive slum rehabilitation in India.
With Terracon's oversight framework in place and monsoon planting already under way, the DRP's environmental commitments are now entering an active implementation phase — one that will be closely watched by urban planners and civic groups alike.
Point of View
But the real test will be survival rates and independent verification — not plantation tallies. Compensatory tree planting in Indian urban projects has a poor track record: trees are counted at planting, not at maturity. Terracon's mandatory six-monthly survival reports are a structural improvement, but their findings need to be publicly disclosed, not just submitted to the project authority. The Mithi River promenade is also a high-stakes bet: the river has historically been a flood conduit and a pollution sink, and any promenade that does not address upstream industrial discharge risks becoming an aesthetic overlay on an ecological failure.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dharavi Redevelopment Project's green plan?
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, implemented by ANDPL, plans to rejuvenate 40,000 trees within Dharavi, build a 3.3-km public promenade along the Mithi River, and plant nearly two lakh compensatory trees across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The initiative is designed to create a connected green-blue network across the redeveloped neighbourhood.
What will the Mithi River promenade include?
The 3.3-km promenade will run from the Matunga culvert to the Mithi riverfront and will be open to all Mumbaikars. It will feature viewing decks, cafes, cultural spaces, native trees, bioswales, and permeable paving to aid stormwater management and groundwater recharge.
Who is responsible for tree planting and maintenance under the DRP?
Environmental consultancy Terracon has been appointed to carry out plantation and maintain the trees for five years, covering scientific planting, irrigation, protection, and maintenance. Terracon will submit mandatory survival reports every six months, with all costs borne by ANDPL.
Why were trees planted in Palghar instead of within Mumbai?
ANDPL has already planted 30,000 compensatory trees at Chahade village in Palghar because sufficient land was not available within Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation limits. The project aims to plant around 75,000 trees during the current monsoon season.
What is ANDPL and who are its shareholders?
Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited (ANDPL) is the Special Purpose Vehicle established to implement the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. Its shareholders are the Government of Maharashtra and the Adani Group.
