Dharavi Slum

Jackamy
Paul & Derry Harper
Tue 15 Feb 2011 18:36
 
Tuesday 15th February
 
Slums are very much a part of Mumbai city life and after much deliberation we thought it was right to pay a visit to Dharavi Slum, Mumbai's biggest and one of Asia's biggest slums. An astonishing 60% of Mumbai's population live in shantytowns and slums. Originally inhabited by fisherfolk when the area was still creeks, swamps and islands, it became attractive to migrant workers, from South Mumbai and beyond, when the swamp began to fill in as a result of natural and artificial causes. It now incorporates 1.75 sq km sandwiched between Mumbai's two major railway lines and is home to more than 2 million people.
 
While it may look a bit shambles from the outside, the maze of dusty alleys and sewer-lined streets of this city-within-a-city are actually a collection of abutting settlements. Some parts of Dharavi are mixed population, but in others, inhabitants from different parts of India, and with different trades have set up homes and tiny factories. Potters from Saurashtra live in one area, Muslim tanners in another, embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh work alongside metalsmiths, while other workers recycle plastics as women dry pappadams in the searing sun. Some of these thriving industries export their wares, and the annual turnover of business from Dharavi is thought to top US$650 million.
 
Up close, life in the slums is relatively normal. Residents pay rent, most houses have kitchens and electricity, and building materials range from flimsy corrugated iron shacks to permanent multi-storey concrete structures. Many families have been here for generations, and some of the younger Dharavi residents even work in white collar jobs. They often choose to stay, though, in the neighbourhood they grew in.
 
Although I'm sure we saw the better parts of the slum I was surprised at what I saw because I expected it to be much worse and the smell wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. It is however a shame for the houses that are deeper inside the slum because they don't have the advantages of setting up businesses like the others on the edges. I think we should learn from what the people are doing here though, because, although they are only doing it because they have no other means of earning money, they are recycling on a huge scale. It's incredible!
 
  
 
The pipelines featured in slumdog
 
  
 
Living at the pipelines in amongst the rubbish
 
  
 
Plastic stacked on top of the roofs
 
  
 
The busy trains take over from the cows
 
  
 
Walking through some of the wider alleys........yes, it did get tighter and darker than this but pictures just don't show it
 
 
The main street lined with businesses
 
  
 
The meat shop
 
 
Children happy to see us
 
  
 
A laundry and a general store in one alleyway
 
  
 
Sifting through the stagnant water for plastic...........These guys then shred it and sell it on
 
On the way back to Colaba we drove on the main road that runs along the train mainline. Peoples 'homes' were along the roadside, and some would be lying in the central reservation where they have 'fold-up' homes as our guide called it. They'd reside in the centre during the day and move out on to the edges of the road during the night when the traffic reduced. We began to wander what'd happen to all the people during the monsoon season and it became clear that they aren't actually from Mumbai, they only spend the summer months here as it is the busiest season, and they make money selling flowers, herbs and anything they can think of, at the train stations. Then when it starts to slow down and the rain sets in, they move back to their homes.
 
 
A barber shop at the roadside
 
  
 
Sifting through the garbage for plastic and shoes..............Weaving with bamboo
 
  
 
Families sleeping and eating on the roads
 
  
 
  
 
Another form of living, 'footpath living'