Access to Civic Amenities in Slums of Mumbai

246 burden and the economic development of 247 | a country. Slums in the world are the face of (4) urban poverty in the new millennium. AMENITY Urbanisation has been taking pace significantly in developing countries Millennium Development Goal declares and India is no exception. In India, the urban “Ensure Environmental Sustainability” as one image credit_ Karin Ann Schierhold image credit_ population increased by almost ten times of the eight goals; by 2015 it targets to halve between the years 1901 to 2001 and number the proportion of the population without of urban settlements increased by two and sustainable access to safe drinking water and half times from 1,916 urban centres in 1901 basic sanitation and by 2020 to have achieved to 5,161 in 2001. Although small towns are a significant improvement in the lives of at numerous, the 400 odd class I cities (100 least 100 million slum dwellers.(5) Achieving thousand and more) harbour about two- the goals set in Millennium Development third of India’s urban population (68.48 Goals is not possible if the health conditions percent). These urban centers offering diverse of slum dwellers are not improved.(6) employment opportunities and means of livelihood are the main centers of attraction The phenomenon of slums is worldwide, for migration, despite the fact that physical although the definition and type varies from infrastructure in terms of housing, drinking place to place. As the capitalist mode of water supply and drainage are inadequate.(1) production started in 18th century, poverty, unemployment, lack of employment in rural Also, unchecked land prices and unaffordable areas and over population are the factors housing forced the poor to search for informal responsible for the existence of slums solutions resulting in mushrooming of slums everywhere. No nation has ever been able and squatter settlements.(2) Slums develop on to prevent the emergence of slums.(7) peripheral and marginal lands on the outskirts of city, on hills, slopes and low lying areas, and In United States slums are associated with also on the land which has little use to the owner ethnicity. Majority of Blacks in urban America in near future. They also developed on the have been from the beginning living in slums. land left unused by public bodies like Railways, Besides them, the early slums in United Municipal Corporations, and Port Trusts etc.(3) States were created by poor European immigrants who came in search of work.(8) The problem of slums has been faced at some point of time by almost all the major cities Slums are characterised by high concentrations Access to Civic throughout the developing world. Today 3 billion of population, heterogeneous and ethnically people, nearly half of the World’s population multi-racial, largely inhabited by poor and lives in cities. One-third of them are slum socially weaker sections of society. Local Amenities in Slums dwellers. Moreover, four out of ten inhabitants administrations always failed to provide in the developing world are living in informal urban civic amenities and sewage facilities. shelters. They experience manifold deprivations; of Mumbai not only houses unfit for habitation but also Slums in Mumbai: lack of adequate food, education, health and Some of the worst slums in the world can basic services. As such, slum improvement is be found in Indian cities. Due to the lack of not only a goal for a better quality of life, but infrastructure and planning in the cities, they _Grace Bahalen Mundu & R.B. Bhagat also provides a positive impact on the health are helpless of accommodating the increasing 248 flow of migrants from the rural areas.(9) Slums are vacant lands. Various wards of Bombay reported i. All specified areas in a town or 249 | | linked with the British rule in India. A majority of slums before the Second World War. Population Data: city notified as ‘slum’ by State, UT AMENITY the rural migrants, displaced in the process of and urban growth has taken place at such a Both published and unpublished data from the Administration or Local Government AMENITY colonial development, migrated to large cities rapid pace that the housing sector has not been 2001 Census have been used in this study. In under any Act including a ‘Slum Act’. for seeking employment. The industries and city able to deal with this problem resulting into the 2001 Census, for the first time, an attempt ii. All areas recognised as ‘slum’ by State, UT administration were not concerned to provide development of numerous slums in the city.(12) was made to collect detailed demographic data Administration or Local Government, Housing adequate shelters to these migrants. In some about slums across the country, particularly, in and Slum Boards, which may have not been cities, particularly in the states of Maharashtra The biggest slum of Asia, Dharavi is situated cities and towns having population of 50,000 formally notified as slum under any act; and Gujarat, industrialists tried to attract and in G ward of Mumbai city, comprising of or above (as of 1991). The information on iii. A compact area of at least 300 population retain them by providing small tenements or small fishermen villages and low lying marshy different characteristics of the slum dwellers or about 60-70 households of poorly multi storied row houses in the pattern of army land. After the post-war period there was has been collected through the same census built congested tenements, in unhygienic barracks, called ‘Chawls’, mostly built in 19th a gradual rise in population and resulting questionnaire of household schedule, which environment usually with inadequate century. Over time, due to lack of maintenance, shortage of housing. These migrants chose was canvassed for the population enumeration infrastructure and lacking in proper dilapidation etc. most of the chawls have the so called slum area for their huts, made in the country at the 2001 census. Slum sanitation and drinking water facility. become extremely poor in terms of quality of up of pieces of old tin, bamboo etc. These population has been reported from 640 cities life. (10) Poverty is the main reason behind the huts are characterised by lack of open and towns of 26 States/Union Territories (UT). Table1: Size and Growth of Population slums and slums breed hopelessness and crime. space between the huts and waste water in Greater Mumbai, 1981-2000. The key reason is the slow economic progress. from the huts without the proper drainage More than 72,000 enumeration blocks have Year Greater Greater Greater Greater By mid sixties in India; Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi & facility resulting into dampness.(13) been identified as slum enumeration blocks in Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai (M. Corp.) (U.A) (M. Corp.) (U.A) all other large cities were dotted with slums.(11) these cities/towns which constitute nearly 22% As awareness and utilisation of loan facility of the total enumeration blocks in urban areas. Population Annual Growth Rate (%) The main reason behind the origin of Bombay’s in almost all slum areas was very low, this In the remaining 9 States/Union Territories 1981 8,243,405 9,421,962 - - slums can be traced to its development as an resulted into almost no utilisation of available there were no identified slums. While census 1991 9,925,891 12,596,243 1.86 2.90 important political and economic centre of the credit facility. Study shows that in order has published demographic characteristics of 2001 11,914,398 16,434,386 1.83 2.65 country. It fascinated a large number of people to improve the life of slum dwellers major slums, the information about basic amenities Note. U.A. – Urban Agglomeration from the rural and small town areas. After the initiatives are required at all fronts. It includes was available in unpublished form until recently. M. Corp. -Municipal Corporation Second World War there was a subsequent provision of basic amenities, education We have been provided the data by the Census Source: Registrar General and Census Commissioner, rise in population due to economic upheaval. and vocational training, health care and office on number of slums ward wise, number 2001, Census of India: Maharashtra Population Data with Slum Population in Urban Units, Mumbai Private enterprise constructed houses with a promotion of income generating activities.(14) of slum households, length of paved roads maximum profit motive which gave birth to in slums, number of tap water connections, Table 1 presents the population size and growth buildings known as chawls. These chawls consist In the earlier studies due to the lack of number of latrines (private and community), type rate of Greater Mumbai (Municipal Corporation and of number of tenements, usually one small room data not much work has been done on of sewerage system (sewerage, open surface Urban Agglomeration) for the year 1981 to 2001. The for each family and served by water-closets the slum population of metropolitan cities. drains) and method of disposal of night soil. table shows that the population of Greater Mumbai and water taps for all families. Some of them Comprehensive information on the slums is increased more in Mumbai Urban Agglomeration are even five to six storied. Due to lack of town essential for the formulation of an effective This study utilises this data and presents area compared to the city area within the Mumbai planning and satisfactory standards laid down policy for their improvement and rehabilitation ward wise distribution of population in Municipal Corporation. On the other hand, the by law in respect to minimum accommodation as they have not received due attention slums, distribution of tap water facility, growth rate in Mumbai Municipal Corporation and sanitation, the growth of Mumbai went in urban planning and have remained an electricity connections, toilet facility, remained almost stable of 1.86 to 1.83 percent per haphazard.

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