SRA surveys over 8.8 lakh slum homes in Mumbai; biometric data collected from 6.1 lakh

Officials estimate the total number of slum homes in the city could be as high as 13 lakh. (Express Photo/Deepak Joshi)

In a key step towards making Mumbai slum-free, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has surveyed 8,84,368 homes across 2,599 slum clusters till December 2025. Of these, occupants of 6,10,382 homes have submitted their biometrics, including fingerprints and documents.

The original deadline for completing the exercise was the end of 2025 but the survey will continue into 2026 as more slums are to be covered. Officials estimate the total number of slum homes in the city could be as high as 13 lakh.

According to SRA officials, the survey is crucial to assess the volume of slum homes in Mumbai, determine eligibility for rehabilitation housing and initiate redevelopment projects.

“Once the SRAs contracted agencies to conduct the survey, details of the residents are handed over to the agency, which is the authority on that land, whether it is the collector, BMC, or MHADA,” said an SRA official. “The authority is the one who decides the eligibility. When it comes to the point of a project in the slum, the survey comes into the picture.”

Officials said survey teams often face resistance from slum dwellers who are reluctant to submit documents, contributing to the gap between the number of homes surveyed and those that have completed biometric verification.

While surveyed homes are assigned unique identification numbers, not all residents cooperate with the documentation process. The ongoing survey aims to both expand coverage to remaining slum pockets and increase participation in biometric submission.

The exercise has been underway since 2016, with officials citing the time-consuming process of persuading residents and ensuring comprehensive coverage as reasons for the delay.

“Initially, the SRA was first conducting the biometric survey in slum clusters and then doing GIS surveys,” said the official.

In 2021, the authority shifted its approach and carried out a drone survey of the entire city, which identified around 13 lakh slum homes. By that time, more than 3 lakh homes had already been surveyed, leaving about 10 lakh still to be covered.

The survey excludes slums located on central government, railway, defence and forest land, as well as those in Dharavi. Slums on private land are surveyed and the data submitted to the deputy collector of the respective area, who is the competent authority for such land.

Of the 4.53 lakh slum homes surveyed after 2021, the majority of 4.26 lakh are located on state government or private land. Another 11,700 are on MHADA land, while 15,000 are on Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) land.

The agencies appointed to conduct the survey include Pioneer Foundation Engineers Pvt Ltd, SAAR IT Capital Pvt Ltd, S Technologies and Infra Ltd, Encure IT Systems Pvt Ltd and CE Infosystems Ltd.