It is the question we are asked more than any other, usually in a slightly apologetic tone. So here is a direct answer from people who sleep here.
The short answer
Yes. Dharavi is a working residential neighbourhood of roughly a million people, not a no-go zone. Petty crime rates are low, partly because everybody knows everybody. Walking through with a resident guide, you are about as safe as you would be in any dense Indian neighbourhood.
What actually poses a risk
The genuine hazards are mundane rather than dramatic:
- Uneven ground. Lanes are narrow, sometimes wet, and often crowded. Closed-toe shoes matter more than anything else on this list.
- Low doorways and overhead cables. Watch your head in the workshop areas.
- Heat and humidity. Mumbai in April and May is punishing. Drink more water than you think you need.
- Traffic on the approach roads. Ironically the most dangerous part is crossing the main road to get there.
What about hygiene?
You are walking through, not eating off the floor. Recycling areas involve dust and smells. If you have respiratory sensitivities, tell your guide and we will adjust the route. We do not visit areas where any activity would put a visitor at risk.
The question underneath the question
Often when people ask whether Dharavi is safe, what they are really asking is whether they will be resented for being there. It is a reasonable worry.
Our answer is that it depends entirely on how you behave. Residents are used to visitors and are largely indifferent. What generates resentment is photographing people without asking, treating a home as a backdrop, or walking through as though nobody lives here. What generates warmth is asking questions, buying something, and behaving as you would in any neighbourhood you were a guest in.
That is why every one of our guides is from Dharavi. They are not just showing you a place, they are accountable to the people in it.