Housing VII

Dharavi Slum Mumbai

PARAS GULIA & NEERAJ KALRA 4th year

CONTENTS
Origin of slum Demographics of the area Location and characteristics of dharavi Economy of dharavi mumbai Sanitation issues in the area Redevelopment Plan for future and present

Location
Dharavi is situated between Mumbai's two main suburban railway lines, the Western and Central Railways. To its west are Mahim and Bandra, and to the north lies the Mithi River, which empties into the Arabian Sea through the Mahim Creek. To its south and east are Sion and Matunga. Both its location and poor drainage systems make Dharavi particularly vulnerable to floods during the wet season.

Dharavi compared to other large slums in the world

Overview of Dharavi , Mumbai

Dharavi is a slum in Mumbai, India. It is one of the largest slums in the world. It is currently a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, diverse settlement. Dharavi's total population estimates vary between 300,000 to about 1 million. Dharavi has an active informal economy, numerous household enterprises that employs the slum residents. It exports goods around the world. Dharavi has suffered through many incidences of epidemics and other disasters. It currently covers an area of 535 acres. Dharavi slum was founded in 1880s during the British colonial era. The slum grew in part because of expulsion of factories and residents from peninsular city centre by colonial government, and from rural poor migrating into urban Mumbai

Origin of Dharavi

In the 18th century, Dharavi was an island. In February 1739, Chimnaji Appa attacked Bassein. Before that, he took possession of Dharavi. The area of present-day Dharavi was predominantly mangrove swamp before the late 19th century, inhabited by Koli fishermen. Dharavi was then referred to as the village of Koliwadas.

After Independence- 1947

At India's Independence from colonial rule in 1947, Dharavi had grown to be the largest slum in Mumbai and all of India. It still had a few empty spaces, which continued to serve as waste dumping grounds for operators across the city. Mumbai, meanwhile, continued to grow as a city. Soon Dharavi was surrounded by the city, and became a key hub for informal economy. Dharavi's Co-operative Housing Society was formed in the 1960s to uplift the lives of thousands of slum dwellers by the initiative of Shri. M.V. Duraiswamy, a well-known social worker and congress leader of that region. The Dharavi co-operative housing society promoted 338 flats and 97 shops and was named "Dr. Baliga Nagar." By late 20th century, Dharavi occupied about 432 acres, with an astounding population density of more than 1,200 people per acre.

Demographics

With Dharavi spread over 500 acres, this corresponds to an average population density estimate between 600 to 2,000 people per acre. About 33% of the population of Dharavi is Muslim, compared to 13% average population of Muslims in India.The Christian population is estimated to be about 6%, while the rest are predominantly Hindus (60%), with some Buddhists and other minority religions The slum residents are from all over India, people who migrated from rural regions of many different states.

Location & Characterstics

Dharavi is situated between Mumbai's two main suburban railway lines, the Western and Central Railways. To its west are Mahim and Bandra, and to the north lies the Mithi River, which empties into the Arabian Sea through the Mahim Creek.
Both its location and poor drainage systems make Dharavi particularly vulnerable to floods during the wet season. Dharavi has a high population density, and as with other worldwide slums, overcrowded. It is mostly low rise structures surrounded by Mumbai city. In most large cities, the floor space index (FSI) varies from 5 to 15 in the Central Business District (CBD) to about 0.5, or below, in the suburbs. Dharavi's FSI is very low.

Dharavi is southern end of Ward H East, and other residential and commercial areas in the Ward marked in dark blue include Santacruz, Vile Parle andMahim.

Economy
In addition to the traditional pottery and textile industries in Dharavi, there is an increasingly larger cycling industry, processing recyclable waste from other parts of Mumbai. The district has an estimated 5000 businesses and 15,000 singleroom factories. Dharavi exports goods around the world. The total (and largely informal economy) turnover is estimated to be between US$500 million, over US$650 million per year, to over US$1 billion per year. The per capita income of the residents, depending on estimated population range of 300,000 to about 1 million, ranges between US$500 to US$2000 per year.

Sanitation Issues in Dharavi

Dharavi has severe problems with public health, due to the scarcity of toilet facilities, due in turn to the fact that most housing and 90% of the commercial units in Dharavi are illegal. As of November 2006 there was only one toilet per 1,440 residents in Dharavi. Mahim Creek, a local river, is widely used by local residents for urination and defecation, leading to the spread of contagious diseases. The area also suffers from problems with inadequate drinking water supply

Redevopment Plans-Dharavi
There have been many plans since 1997 to redevelop Dharavi like the former slums of Hong Kong such as Tai Hang. In 2004, the cost of redevelopment was estimated to be 5000 crore (US$770 million). Companies from around the world have bid to redevelop Dharavi. 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 40,000,000 square feet (3,700,000 m2) of residential and commercial space for sale. There has been significant local opposition to the plans, largely because existing residents are due to receive only 269 square feet (25.0 m2) of land each. The government has said that it will only legalize and relocate industries that are not "polluting."

Current Status