In early October, Worli gaothan residents received a notice from the Maharashtra Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) informing them of an application to declare the village a slum area. This was a precursor to setting up a slum rehabilitation project there.

Yesterday, this paper ran an extensive report on residents’ feelings about the proposed project. The overall sentiment was that of hurt and anger at being labelled slum dwellers, which is akin to being called encroachers. More importantly, if the project goes through, large parts of this gaothan will be wiped out and replaced by modern buildings. With that will disappear a lifestyle unique to East Indian culture.