Dharavi

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Dharavi (labeled "Mu"), compared to other large slums in the world (click to enlarge)

Dharavi is a district of central Mumbai, India. Sandwiched between Mahim in the west and Sion in the east, is Dharavi — one of Asia's largest slums^[1]. Spread over an area of 175 hectares, Dharavi has a population of more than 1 million people.^[2]

1 Geography
2 History
3 Economy
4 Sanitation issues
5 References
6 Further reading

[edit] Geography

Dharavi is located 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.

[edit] History

The area of present-day Dharavi was predominantly mangrove swamp prior to the late 19th century, inhabited by Koli fishermen.^[1] However, the fishing industry disappeared when the swamp areas filled in. A dam at Sion, adjacent to Dharavi, hastened the process of joining separate islands into one long, tapered mass. Thus began the transformation of the island city of Bombay. In the process, the creek dried up, and Dharavi's fishing town was deprived of its traditional sustenance, but the newly drained marshes provided space for new communities to move in. Migrants from Gujarat established a potters' colony, and Muslim tanners from Tamil Nadu migrated to Dharavi and set up the leather tanning industry. Other artisans, like the embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh, started the ready-made garments trade.^[1]

[edit] Economy

A lot of the city's recycling is done manually in Dharavi

In addition to the traditional pottery and textile industries in Dharavi,^[1], there is an increasingly large recycling industry, processing recyclable waste from other parts of Mumbai. Manufacturing is significant; the district has an estimated 15,000 single-room factories.^[2]

An urban redevelopment plan is proposed for the Dharavi area, managed by American-trained architect Mukesh Mehta.^[1] The plan involves the construction of 30 million square feet of housing, schools, parks and roads to serve the existing 57,000 families residing in the area, along with 40 million square feet of residential and commmercial space for sale.^[3] There has been significant local opposition to the plans, largely due to the fact that existing residents are due to receive only 225 square feet of land.^[1]^[3]

[edit] Sanitation issues

A 2007 photograph of Dharavi, titled "UNICEF's failed effort"; the garbage is spread everywhere besides the UNICEF rubbish bin.

Dharavi has severe problems with public health, due to the scarcity of toilet facilities, compounded by the flooding during the monsoon season. As of November 2006 there was only one toilet per 1,440 residents in Dharavi.^[4] Mahim Creek, a local river, is widely used by local residents for urination and defecation, leading to the spread of contagious disease.^[1] The area also suffers from problems with inadequate water supply.^[5]