The Architect of Modern Dharavi

Shri.Duraiswamy had a lifetime cherished dream of providing decent residential accommodation to the poor people of Dharavi. He wanted to pull them away from the sprawling slums. It was his bounden wish to see the people of Dharavi to live a decent Life with self-Respect. With such noble and lofty ideals, he floated the Dharavi Co-Operative Housing Society consisting of about 300 flats initially. During this period he was afflicted with age related diseases such as Diabetes and Blood Pressure. Though the affliction was acute he used to work with missionary zeal to complete the housing project. Even the failing health could not deter his will power and determination in completing the project. The first phase of the project was completed and the possession of about 300 flats was handed over, which brought his soul boundless bliss. Despite the deteriorating Health he, like a young man with an unflinching determination liked to provide more housing accommodation to some more of his poor Dharavians. But the destiny had its own parallel, and his brilliant spirit was snuffed away for ever.

The idea of the construction of housing project was solely conceived by him, he single handedly shaped it like a temple to be offered to the poor people endeared to him as Dharavians. He wanted to erase the despicable epithet of the name as a "BIG SLUM" given to Dharavi in the map of the then Bombay. In the ordinary course, any person who had devoted and sacrificed everything for the development of the housing project, which was the first ever constructed housing complex with modern amenities in Dharavi, could have named the complex in own name or in the name of his blood relatives. But Shri.Duraiswamy, a man of great virtues and values, named the complex as 'Dr.Baliga nagar'. Dr,Baliga was a nationalist and philanthropist who rendered free medical and other free services to the people of Dharavi. In order to honour Dr.Baliga, the housing complex was named after him.