DHARAVI SLUMS

-ARSH KHANNA

4A

INTRODUCTION

 Dharavi is located in Mumbai in India. India’s and Mumbai's biggest slum is known as Dharavi. With an area
of just over 2.1 square kilometres (0.81 sq mi) and a population density of over 277,136/km? (717,780/sq
mi), Dharavi is also one of the most densely populated areas on Earth.
 Dharavi was once an isolated settlement on the outskirts of Mumbai. At the edge of Dharavi the newest
arrivals come to make their homes on waste land next to water pipes in slum areas. They set up home
illegally amongst waste on land that is not suitable for habitation.

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RESIDANTS
  A majority of the residents of Dharavi belong to the dalit caste especially the Adidravidars of the Tamil
people, they had also built a Ganesh Temple and "Adidravidar mahajana Sangham" which own the piece of
land and the areas adjoining the temple.
 Other castes and tribes are also present. Minorities include Christians, Muslims and Buddhists.

 In addition to the traditional pottery and textile industries in Dharavi, there is an increasingly large recycling
industry, processing recyclable waste from other parts of Mumbai. Recycling in Dharavi is reported to
employ approximately 250,000 people. While recycling is a major industry in the neighborhood, it is also
reported to be a source of heavy pollution in the area. The district has an estimated 5000 businesses and
15,000 single-room factories. Two major suburban railways feed into Dharavi, making it an important
commuting station for people in the area going to and from work.
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PROBLEMS FACED

 In the slum people have to live with many problems. People have to go to the toilet in the street and there
are open sewers.
 Children play amongst sewage waste and doctors deal with 4,000 cases a day of diphtheria and typhoid.
Next to the open sewers are water pipes, which can crack and take in sewage. Dharavi slum is based around
this water pipe built on an old rubbish tip.
 The people have not planned this settlement and have no legal rights to the land.
 There are also toxic wastes in the slum including hugely dangerous heavy metals.
 People live in very small dwellings (e.g. 12X12ft), often with many members of their extended families.
 Water is a big problem for Mumbai's population; standpipes come on at 5:30am for 2 hours as water is
rationed.
 Mahim Creek is a local river that is widely used by local residents for urination and defecation causing the
spread of contagious diseases.
 The open sewers in the city drain to the creek causing a spike in water pollutants, septic conditions, and foul
odors.
  Due to the air pollutants, diseases such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and asthma are common among
residents. There are government proposals in regards to improving Dharavi's sanitation issues.

 Bacteria in the dump produce about 4,251m3/hr of biogas, mostly methane into the atmosphere. This
creates a fire hazard and the fires release smoke and other harmful products into the air. This is due to
burning of plastics and non-plastics as well as other unsorted materials that could have dangerous end
products. Polluted water flows into the ocean and other surrounding bodies of water, making some sources
of fish and water unsafe for consumption which is a huge problem environmentally and economically.

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SOLUTIONS PROVIDED

 Slum Rehabilitation Authority declared Dharavi as the most difficult area and provided higher incentive of
1:1.333.

Inspite of higher incentive, only 15% of Dharavi is developed in 12 years. Local developers built extremely poor
quality housing.

METHOD EMPLOYED:

1. Formulate sustainable master plan.

2. Rehabilitate all the slum families and business in dharavi itself.
3. Rehabilitate all non polluting industries.
4. Integration of slum dwellers with main stream residents of Mumbai through hikes.

 CX4
  In 2010, it is estimated to cost Rs 15,000 core to redevelop. The latest urban redevelopment plan proposed
for the Dharavi area is managed by American-trained architect Mukesh Mehta .
The plan involves the construction of 30,000,000 square feet (2,800,000 m2) of housing, schools, parks and
roads to serve the 57,000 families residing in the area, along with 3,700,000 m2 of residential and
commercial space for sale.
 Concerns have also been raised by residents who fear that some of their small businesses in the "informal"
sector may not be relocated under the redevelopment plan. The government has said that it will only
legalize and relocate industries that are not "polluting.“

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