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Dharavi + The World

Jun 05 2011

Authors

Authors

Matias

Echanove

Dharavi + The World

Jun 05 2011

Authors

Authors

Matias

Echanove

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Download

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Following the Water: NYUAD returns to Dharavi Koliwada

The Handstorm workshop in Dharavi, with the Engineers for Social Impact from NYU, Abu Dhabi took place for the second time this year in October, 2025. We walked through the lanes of Dharavi Koliwada, observing Water in the diverse and unexpected paths that it took to and from people’s homes. Students diligently followed the water, listening carefully to the stories it had to tell.

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Friday, 27th February, 2026 at 6:30 pm.

Join us for the screening of “Living Euljiro”, by Liron Shalit.

Living Euljiro explores the hidden losses faced by the people of Euljiro, undergoing massive redevelopment. Through the eyes of Liron, an international filmmaker drawn to its charm, the film captures the beauty of the century-old alleys and the deep relationships formed with residents whose lives are being upended. Through a mosaic of voices, the film moves beyond a simple story of gentrification, capturing the tensions between progress and erasure. It becomes a meditation on memory, identity, and the quiet acts of those determined to survive.

Liron has been creating award-winning short documentaries since 2017, exploring themes such as social issues, human rights, disability, natural disasters, and urban life. Since relocating to Seoul in 2022, he has focused on documenting disappearing spaces and communities, capturing the distinctive culture of Euljiro and the stories of the people who live and work there.

We look forward to seeing you at the screening, followed by a short conversation with Liron!

Venue: urbz, 3rd Floor, Pasco patil Chawl, Dharavi Main Road, Koliwada, Dharavi, Mumbai 400 017.

Limited seating, so please register on the link in the bio.

See you all on Friday!

Update on Solar Street Light Project

The solar street lighting for Dharavi Koliwada is an incremental civic infrastructure project. After designing and installing bespoke streetlights, we are now connecting the lights to solar energy.

Making this connection involved months of surveying several terraces in the neighbourhood to find the one with the best combination of space, height and orientation for the solar panels. Next came a round of discussions with the residents and the Dharavi Koli Jamat to negotiate a fair exchange for the use of their terrace. It was decided to produce extra solar energy to subsidise residents’ electricity bills.

The installation of the panels is underway, and the lights will be solar-powered in a matter of
weeks!

Photos:

1. Streetlights in action.

2. Surveying locations with the highest potential to generate solar energy

3. Discussions between Chandrakant Koli, who has a solar installation business, and the
resident, whose terrace was found to be most suitable.

4. The terrace is used to dry fish. The placement of solar panels was carefully planned to accommodate fish drying on the terrace. Drying of fish is an important seasonal activity and ensures that seafood is part of the diet even when outside of the fishing season.

5,6. Inauguration of the installation project
Solar panels being transported and carefully hoisted up to the terrace, each panel
weighs about 30 kgs!

7. Dutta Koli, a local fabricator, puts up the supporting framework for the panels.

8. The team, including friends and neighbours help with the installation

9. Chandrakant Koli and Santosh Salgaonkar of Solar Power Systems and Solutions, the team responsible for execution of the project.

Updates on the Garden of Festivities, Tree Planting Process!

Kolis have been vanguards of climate change and the environmental crisis, constantly responding and adapting to an urbanising landscape in ways that allow them to continue fishing, even in the most critical contexts.

The Kolis of Dharavi are now turning a landfill along the Mithi River into a garden for Dharavi Koliwada. Defending their commons is becoming increasingly difficult, and transforming one that is a landfill demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to place. A commitment nurtured by a shared history and identity that is deeply intertwined with the Mithi Estuary.

For the past two years, we have been working alongside the Kolis of Dharavi to attend to and care for this neglected urban landscape. This week the first trees have been carefully planted - eight young coconut palms that will be part of a coconut orchard. The coconut is integral to coastal communities. On the festival of Naralli Purnima, the Kolis offer coconuts to the waters as a symbol of reciprocity with the environment.

Photo 1,2 - The young palms are carried to the site

Photo 3 - Salt is mixed into the red soil as a source of chlorine

Photo 4, 5- Bricks are crushed as a sub-base before adding the soil.

Photo 6, 7 - The young palm is firmly planted

Photo 8 - Shared vision of the Coconut Orchard

Photo 9 - Offering coconuts to the Mithi Estuary on Naralli Purnima

#gardenoffestivities #landscape #gardenbytheriver #mithi #urbanlandscape #koli #kolicommunity #architecture #urbandesign

Workshop Guadua y Periferia en Siloe. Este taller se enfocó en la consolidación de la segunda etapa de Teatro Verde de la corporación @lomeritos.siloe organización del Siloe que promueve el arte y la cultura en el territorio. Este proceso a contado con la coordinación de @nataliadulceytaller77 y el apoyo de @casagrafo y @urbznet. Gracias a todos los participantes por apoyar la consolidación de este espacio comunitario.