The problems and solutions of Slum Clearance in Mumbai city, India
Abstract
Since the Indian government passed the law of Slum Clearance Act in 1970 (Roy, D para.2), there have been a lot of evictions. People who lived in the slum have been forced to move to other places. As a result of repeated evictions people have been faced with serious problem. In additions to these economic factors there is a social factor. That is Caste system. Caste system has forced the lower class people remaining poor. This cultural complexity makes the problem more serious. Especially, women and children have been under helpless. To overcome these economical and social problems, some NGOs have provided assistance and cooperated with local government. They have tried to improve the people’s standard of life. I will refer to one NGO; Maternal and child healthcare in India. They have provided healthcare, education and leader’s training program.
Introduction---Population problem
According to G.Tyler (1994), the more poor people move from rural to urban area the more poverty is becoming urbanized. It is have been a trend in the world. A lot of cities have received the damage because of their extreme poverty. There have been social and habitat environment problems in these cities instead of being centers of commerce and industry. A lot of people live in the cities. Population growth is related to urban problem. According to Tyler (1994), at least 1 billion people -18% of the world’s population-live in the crowded slums of inner cities and in the vast, mostly illegal squatter settlements or shantytowns that ring the outskirts of most cities in LDCs (Less Developed Countries) (Tyler, G 1994, p.26). I agree with Tyler’s explanation. As a back ground information I will introduce one example of the population problem in India.Nowadays India is developing its industry. India’s government constructs big factories in rural areas. People who live in the village near the factories have received air and water pollution. People were compelled to move to other village and cities. The government did not pay the people for this situation. In the name of progression, the India government has ignored the dwellers. One India government officer said that they have trickle-down theory in development. According to this trickle-down theory industry first develop and then cities develop and finally rural area develop (summaried by the author from the video clip in SIU CESL EAP2 Core class, 1/Aug/2005).Apparently India has not done good policies for the population problem. The city did not have enough housing for them. So most of people had no way with living in slum areas. There have been a lot of people who came to city from countryside. They made a lot of squatters which often have forced to move by the government. The developers also have done supported the slum clearance because their plans to renewal cities. They have invested and constructed buildings and other big facilities in those area. Indian government has a vision to develop their country like another Singapore. Nowadays Mumbai city announced to develop their region like Shanghai in China. Poor people have had no way with obeying to the government policy. Those slum clearances have been very strict for the poor people. Actually the policy has not worked well because one slum clearance only makes other slum areas. So, slum clearance itself is not enough for the solution. Furthermore, these repeated evictions have made people unhealthy and poor. In additions, Caste system makes the problem complex. They need social services that make people well. Because the government put priority in development , it will be very difficult for poor people to receive benefit and they need help from the bottom So, in the following paragraph, I will describe the problem of slum clearance and the current NGO activities for solution.
Repeated Eviction makes people unhealthy and poor
Unfortunately, poor people have been regarded as a part of bad environment. This is an ethical issue because people have the rights to live. Even though they live in slum they have rights to live. They lived in other slums. Many poor people have forcefully evicted several times. Their households have been very difficult to build up. They also have been in difficulty with improving their habitat environment. So they have been very difficult to increase their income.
Caste system makes the problem complex
India has Caste system. There are a lot of classes in the society. They usually marriage with the men and women who are in same class. So it is very difficult for them to improve their standard of life. This is a cultural problem. Caste systems make the slum problem complex. I noticed they have cultural limit for improving their life.
Social Service makes people well Å\Healthcare, Education, Training leaders
India Government should face with the roots of problem and provide social service. So they should keep providing various kinds of social services for needed people. To save poor people they should focus on each person who is involved in serious conditions. They have a lot of need. Some private organizations provide health care program and family planning. One of the organization has maternal and child healthcare program. I think such social service and education are very important to fulfill the needs of poor people. They need clean water, foods, housing etc. So I suggest that India government should keep welcoming NGO from foreign countries and support their activities. NGO can provide human resources from all over the world. It is a very effective for the people.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, population growth is related to urban problem. Slum clearance is not enough for solution of the problem. Caste system forced people to stay poor. So, the Indian government should keep supporting NGO activities and providing various kinds of social services for needed people. To provide social service to those area is a kind of investigation to children for the future. I believe when people change, nation change. This issue should be developed to the quality of life of poor people in slum area.
Bibliography
Books
1.G.Tyler (1994) Environment Problems & Solutions Set B,Thomson Learing,Calfolnia
2.Ranvinder Singh Sandha(2003) Urbanization in India –Sociological ContributionsÅ|,Sage Publications, New Delhi
Articles
3ÅBDunu Roy (7/Jul./2005) Combat Law, vol.3 Issue 3 September-October 2004 (published January 2005 in India Together) also from http://www.indiatogether.org/combatlaw/vol.3/issue3/fakecity.htm
4.Earth watch Institute (21/Jul./2005) Maternal and Child healthcare in India from http://www.earthwatch.org/expenditions/balaji.htm
5.Emmel, N.D & D’Souza,L (1999) Health effects of forced eviction in the slum of Mumbai Lancet, vol.354
6.Subratan N.Chakaravary, edited by Thomas Jaffe (3/Jan./1993) Slum Clearance, Forbes, Vol.151, Issue 5
5.Rina Chandran (2,Aug, 2005) “Rains douse Bombay's dream to become Shanghai”
From:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050802/sc_nm/india_bombay_dc_2&printer=1;_ylt=AjHLKj1CeGYQo5QSrD1CxyoiANEA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-
Since the Indian government passed the law of Slum Clearance Act in 1970 (Roy, D para.2), there have been a lot of evictions. People who lived in the slum have been forced to move to other places. As a result of repeated evictions people have been faced with serious problem. In additions to these economic factors there is a social factor. That is Caste system. Caste system has forced the lower class people remaining poor. This cultural complexity makes the problem more serious. Especially, women and children have been under helpless. To overcome these economical and social problems, some NGOs have provided assistance and cooperated with local government. They have tried to improve the people’s standard of life. I will refer to one NGO; Maternal and child healthcare in India. They have provided healthcare, education and leader’s training program.
Introduction---Population problem
According to G.Tyler (1994), the more poor people move from rural to urban area the more poverty is becoming urbanized. It is have been a trend in the world. A lot of cities have received the damage because of their extreme poverty. There have been social and habitat environment problems in these cities instead of being centers of commerce and industry. A lot of people live in the cities. Population growth is related to urban problem. According to Tyler (1994), at least 1 billion people -18% of the world’s population-live in the crowded slums of inner cities and in the vast, mostly illegal squatter settlements or shantytowns that ring the outskirts of most cities in LDCs (Less Developed Countries) (Tyler, G 1994, p.26). I agree with Tyler’s explanation. As a back ground information I will introduce one example of the population problem in India.Nowadays India is developing its industry. India’s government constructs big factories in rural areas. People who live in the village near the factories have received air and water pollution. People were compelled to move to other village and cities. The government did not pay the people for this situation. In the name of progression, the India government has ignored the dwellers. One India government officer said that they have trickle-down theory in development. According to this trickle-down theory industry first develop and then cities develop and finally rural area develop (summaried by the author from the video clip in SIU CESL EAP2 Core class, 1/Aug/2005).Apparently India has not done good policies for the population problem. The city did not have enough housing for them. So most of people had no way with living in slum areas. There have been a lot of people who came to city from countryside. They made a lot of squatters which often have forced to move by the government. The developers also have done supported the slum clearance because their plans to renewal cities. They have invested and constructed buildings and other big facilities in those area. Indian government has a vision to develop their country like another Singapore. Nowadays Mumbai city announced to develop their region like Shanghai in China. Poor people have had no way with obeying to the government policy. Those slum clearances have been very strict for the poor people. Actually the policy has not worked well because one slum clearance only makes other slum areas. So, slum clearance itself is not enough for the solution. Furthermore, these repeated evictions have made people unhealthy and poor. In additions, Caste system makes the problem complex. They need social services that make people well. Because the government put priority in development , it will be very difficult for poor people to receive benefit and they need help from the bottom So, in the following paragraph, I will describe the problem of slum clearance and the current NGO activities for solution.
Repeated Eviction makes people unhealthy and poor
Unfortunately, poor people have been regarded as a part of bad environment. This is an ethical issue because people have the rights to live. Even though they live in slum they have rights to live. They lived in other slums. Many poor people have forcefully evicted several times. Their households have been very difficult to build up. They also have been in difficulty with improving their habitat environment. So they have been very difficult to increase their income.
Caste system makes the problem complex
India has Caste system. There are a lot of classes in the society. They usually marriage with the men and women who are in same class. So it is very difficult for them to improve their standard of life. This is a cultural problem. Caste systems make the slum problem complex. I noticed they have cultural limit for improving their life.
Social Service makes people well Å\Healthcare, Education, Training leaders
India Government should face with the roots of problem and provide social service. So they should keep providing various kinds of social services for needed people. To save poor people they should focus on each person who is involved in serious conditions. They have a lot of need. Some private organizations provide health care program and family planning. One of the organization has maternal and child healthcare program. I think such social service and education are very important to fulfill the needs of poor people. They need clean water, foods, housing etc. So I suggest that India government should keep welcoming NGO from foreign countries and support their activities. NGO can provide human resources from all over the world. It is a very effective for the people.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, population growth is related to urban problem. Slum clearance is not enough for solution of the problem. Caste system forced people to stay poor. So, the Indian government should keep supporting NGO activities and providing various kinds of social services for needed people. To provide social service to those area is a kind of investigation to children for the future. I believe when people change, nation change. This issue should be developed to the quality of life of poor people in slum area.
Bibliography
Books
1.G.Tyler (1994) Environment Problems & Solutions Set B,Thomson Learing,Calfolnia
2.Ranvinder Singh Sandha(2003) Urbanization in India –Sociological ContributionsÅ|,Sage Publications, New Delhi
Articles
3ÅBDunu Roy (7/Jul./2005) Combat Law, vol.3 Issue 3 September-October 2004 (published January 2005 in India Together) also from http://www.indiatogether.org/combatlaw/vol.3/issue3/fakecity.htm
4.Earth watch Institute (21/Jul./2005) Maternal and Child healthcare in India from http://www.earthwatch.org/expenditions/balaji.htm
5.Emmel, N.D & D’Souza,L (1999) Health effects of forced eviction in the slum of Mumbai Lancet, vol.354
6.Subratan N.Chakaravary, edited by Thomas Jaffe (3/Jan./1993) Slum Clearance, Forbes, Vol.151, Issue 5
5.Rina Chandran (2,Aug, 2005) “Rains douse Bombay's dream to become Shanghai”
From:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050802/sc_nm/india_bombay_dc_2&printer=1;_ylt=AjHLKj1CeGYQo5QSrD1CxyoiANEA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-
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