The average slum dwelling is a temporary shelter measuring 6 x 5 feet. It houses around 6 - 8 people and is built using whatever is to hand - mud, reeds, plastic sheeting, stitched cloth, cardboard and other discarded materials. The slum dwellers are constantly exposed to stagnant water, open drains, floods, rubbish, and noise and air pollution. Access to clean, safe water is extremely limited. The narrow lanes separating slum dwellings allow fire to spread with terrifying speed, as well as disease.
It's estimated that one hand pump serves an average of 125 slum households (a minimum of 750 people). Water pumps are often in disrepair and women have to walk long distances to fetch water. There is an average of one latrine for 25 households (around 125 people), so around 40% of people defecate outside the slum or in drains.
Poor living conditions, lack of income and scarce education contribute to serious health problems that would otherwise be preventable. Maternal health is poor, and death associated with pregnancy and childbirth is common as women have no access to suitable facilities or trained midwives. Children suffer from vitamin A deficiencies that can lead to blindness. Tuberculosis, diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections are very common amongst children. Around 80% of children are malnourished and only 1 in 3 children are immunised against childhood diseases. The mortality rates are among the highest in the world (the under-5 death rate is 136 per 1,000 live births). The birth rate in the slums is also one of the highest in the world, at 40 per 1,000 of the population.
Above: Tuberculosis is very common in slums. Often, people don't seek treatment until it is too late.
Only 25% men and 10% women are able to read and write with understanding. Only 20% of children attend even primary school, even though the government provides school places for all children. Children are usually expected to start work at a young age and increase the money that the family earns. Unemployment is high, and most households have an income of less than 1,000 - 1,500 rupees a month (approximately 30 US dollars), with most men working as unskilled, temporary labourers.
There is little sense of community due to ethnic, language and caste differences. The effects of displacement, disappointment and stress result in high levels of violence and alcohol or drug abuse. Politicians and the slum mafia regularly exploit slum dwellers, whose large numbers can be useful in gaining votes or influence.
Women and children in particular face severe difficulties in gaining access to basic facilities including health services, clean water and education. They rarely leave their homes, lack confidence and have nobody to turn to for advice or help.
Above: A man dismantles car parts for approximately US$2 a day
If you want to learn more about slum conditions, you can download our annual report.
Thanks to Asha, we have been able to get land rights in our own names and so we don’t have to be afraid of being evicted. Most people in slums never own their own homes and so we feel very privileged.
Narayani, Ekta Vihar
