SLUMS PROBLEM

Another urgent problem is the perpetuation of the cycle of poverty: high rates of illness within slum communities cause a decline in productivity and prevent children from attending school normally. Moreover there are no security measures for the building of the houses and, because of this, people are highly vulnerable to disasters and other types of environmental degradation.

Why do slums develop? Slums are not a new phenomenon. They have been part of the history of most cities, particularly in the early years of urbanisation and industrialisation as populations boomed. Slums are generally the only type of settlement affordable and accessible to the poor in cities. The two main reasons why slums develop are population growth and governance, because governments often fail to recognise the rights of the urban poor and incorporate them into urban planning.

Dharavi is a locality in Mumbai (India) considered to be one of Asia's largest slums. It has an area of just over 2.1 square kilometres and a population of about 1,000,000. Dharavi is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. It was founded in 1884 during the British colonial era. Dharavi has suffered from many epidemics and other disasters, including a widespread plague in 1896 which killed over half of the population of Mumbai. Nowadays Dharavi still has severe problems with public health: Mahim Creek is a local river that is widely used by local residents for urination and defecation causing the spread of contagious diseases. Due to the air pollutants, diseases such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and asthma are common among residents.