Dharavi Slum Mumbai

Dharavi slum is located in Mumbai in India. Here there are a million people crammed into one square mile in Dharavi. At the edge of Dharavi, the newest arrivals come to make their homes on waste land next to the water pipes in the slum areas. They set up homes illegally amongst waste on land that is not suitable for habitation. In the wet monsoon season these people have huge problems living here as their homes often get destroyed, considering they are made of poor material such as corrugated iron, and the large number of people living here also creates problems for many. Dharavi can be considered a slum of hope or a slum of despair and this essay will explore this subject.

In the Dharavi slum, people have to live with many problems. People have to go to the toilet in the street and there are open sewers. From watching a documentary- Kevin McCloud ‘slumming it’ we found that children are playing amongst the sewage waste and doctors deal with 4000 cases a day of diphtheria and typhoid- this would not be considered the same in the UK.  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. There are also toxic wastes in the slum including hugely dangerous heavy metals. Dharavi is made up of 12 different neighbourhoods and there are no maps or road signs. It became very clear here that people live in very small houses often 2 storeys with many members of their extended families. Water here is a very big problem for Mumbai's population, this is because standpipes come on at 5:30am for 2 hours as water is rationed. These standpipes are shared between many people. Rubbish is everywhere and most areas lack sanitation and excrement and rats are found on the street. In one example we saw that 500 people share one public toilet.
The famous cloth washing area also has problems, despite its social nature sewage water filters into the water used for washing clothes. In these cases, little or no water, electricity shortages and poor sanitation have made the small are of Dharavi the slum of despair it is known to.

However apart from all the problems, we found that there were many positives of the slum.

This includes informal shopping areas where it is possible to buy anything you might need ranging from food to clothing. Something spectacular shown in the documentary showcased the open mosque open to 30% of Muslims in Dharavi, this caters the religious needs of the population here. Furthermore, there is a pottery area of Dharavi slum which has a community centre. It was established by potters from Gujarat 70 years ago and has grown into a settlement of over 10,000 people. It has a village feel despite its high population density. 
Family life dominates, and there can be as many as 5 people per room. The documentary explores the life of one family where the houses often have no windows, asbestos roofs (which are dangerous if broken) and no planning to fit fire regulations. Rooms within houses have multiple functions, including living, working and sleeping.

Many daily chores are done outside surrounding their neighbours and communities because people live close to one another. This helps to generate a sense of community. The buildings in this part of the slum are all of different heights and colours, adding interest and diversity. This is despite the enormous environmental problems with air and land pollution.  85% of people have a job in the slum and work locally, and some have even managed to become millionaires. For example, one private enterprise makes the metal cages inside suitcases, making 700 pieces per day, paying 3 rupees per piece. There are 15,000 one room factories in Dharavi which there are 300 feeding most of Mumbai. Many of the products from Dharavi end up around the world based upon very cheap labour. Many of the people work in very poor working conditions, and includes children. Indeed, Dharavi is trying to do in 20 years what the west did in 200, develop.