Surat Set to Become India’s First Slum-Free City

National desk:

Surat, widely known as India’s “Diamond Capital”, is on track to become the country’s first fully slum-free city. Backed by sustained urban planning and efficient implementation of housing schemes, the Gujarat city is nearing the completion of a long-standing goal to ensure permanent housing for all its residents.

Officials of the Surat Municipal Corporation said the core objective is to ensure that every family has access to a durable home, eliminating the need for slum settlements. To achieve this, the city has focused on large-scale in-situ redevelopment, replacing informal slum clusters with planned, multi-storey residential complexes. The approach allows residents to remain close to their workplaces and social networks while improving living conditions.