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Dharavi's bustling informal economy under threat. (All photos: Johnny Miller)
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
Thousands of small businesses thrive in Mumbai's Dharavi slum - creating a complex informal economy
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The grey economy in Dharavi has an annual turnover of $1 billion, according to some estimates
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Most homes in the 240 hectare slum double up as work spaces
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Tens of thousands work as potters, leather tanners, and soap makers in Dharavi's massive recycling industry
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Heavier industries including metal foundries and aluminium smelting can also be found
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But business under threat from plans to replace the ramshackle workshops with office blocks and apartments
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Along with business, slum-dwellers' communities of schools, temples, restaurants, and tailors also face deconstruction
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"People think of slums as places of static despair" says economist Sanjeev Sanyal
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"If one looks past the open drains and plastic sheets, one will see that slums are ecosystems buzzing with activity."
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Recent plans by city officials envisaged private developers clearing the area and building high-rise flats
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"We want new flats, but they are small," said resident Sharada Tape
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"There are no spaces like this where we can all sit and work," she said.