The word slum may appear as alien to a great part of the world, especially to the populace of both United States and Europe, even though it enjoys a huge presence in Asia and certainly Indian subcontinent, better to say in India. What is a slum then? Well, if we do follow the definition ordained by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, it is a derelict area of a city characterized by inferior housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security.
In accordance with the studies of United Nations, the proportion of urban dwellers living in slums diminished from 47 percent to 37 percent in the developing world between 1990 and 2005. Nevertheless, on account of increasing population, the number of slum dwellers is also rising. One billion people worldwide live in slums and the figure will likely grow to 2 billion by 2030. You can surely understand what can be the situation in India then.
What is more, the most affected city in the realm of this budding superpower is Mumbai, its financial capital and as per studies, no less than 55% of the city’s populace, if not more, dwells in slums and the adjoining cities like Pune are also witnessing the same scenario increasingly.
Is the indigenous government having any plan to deal with the same issue? Well, it, like a true unprofessional and effete entity, seems to be baffled and the latest reality is that local builders and developers association are afraid of that new slums will crop up in the city owing to paucity of development planning on the part of the government and the PMC. What can be done then? However, it is also true that slum leaders and organizations demand reasonable housing and apposite restoration.
"The fact is that lack of proper development plans has resulted in new slums. There are patches of land in the city which are sold by owners in fragmentation as the state government is not taking a decision on change in intention (that is to convert agriculture land into residential purpose). New slums will come up here and again a new rehabilitation plan will follow," says Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (Credai) Pune president Satish Magar. The process goes on likewise for the eternity hence.
Studies reveal that other Indian states are also moving towards the same direction bit by bit. What’s about realty projects and lofty dreams of ensuring better living standards to commoners then? Dump it for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment