3 min readJun 3, 2026 01:48 PM IST
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking on Tuesday approved the transfer of 11.58 acres of land currently occupied by its Dharavi and Kalakilla bus depots for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP).
The land will be handed over to Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd (NMDPL), the special purpose vehicle executing the redevelopment project through a joint venture between the Adani Group and the state government.
The Dharavi and Kalakilla depots are considered strategically important parcels within the broader redevelopment layout planned for Dharavi, one of the country’s largest urban renewal projects. In return for the land transfer, NMDPL will construct two multi-storey bus depots for BEST at alternate locations within Dharavi.
According to the proposal approved by the BEST committee, one of the new depots will be spread over 8,602.42 square metres and will accommodate 200 to 275 buses. The second depot, spanning 10,544 square metres, will also have a capacity of 200 to 275 buses.
Officials said buses will be parked on the lower floors of the proposed depot buildings, while upper floors will house depot offices and operational facilities. The remaining floors will be commercially utilised by the developer. The proposal states that the new depots are to be completed within seven years, following which the developer will maintain the facilities for an additional five years. Penalties will be imposed in case of delays.
As part of the transition plan, NMDPL will first construct a temporary depot on 6.17 acres of the existing land parcel with parking capacity for 145 buses. Once the temporary depot becomes operational, the remaining 5.41 acres will be handed over for redevelopment.
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project requires multiple government land parcels for rehabilitation housing, transit accommodation and project infrastructure. Several public authorities and government agencies have been in the process of transferring land linked to the project over the past year.
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The project has also been at the centre of political controversy, with opposition parties questioning the transfer of public land and the terms under which the redevelopment project is being executed. The transfer approved on Tuesday marks another major land parcel being brought under the ambit of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
