HOW IS LIFE IN THE LARGEST SLUM OF ASIA?
Everyone wants to live in a comfortable house having all the necessary furniture, equipment, soft bed to have a great night, private toilets and bathrooms etc. But there are many people who don't get the opportunity to live in comfort for their entire life. This blog is about a place with stinky smell, garbage dumps, but with happy faces. Dharavi- the largest slum of Asia and the world's most densely populated area. Slum area is defined as the area without sufficient water, sufficient living area and sanitation as per UN.
Dharavi is situated in Mumbai, India. The nearest railway station is Sion railway station. It's area is 2.1 square km occupying 12 percent of Mumbai's geographic area and the population is about 7,00,000 with population density 2,77,136 per square km. Dharavi was founded in 1884 during British rule. Before this, it was a village inhabited by Koli fishermen. But due to the growth of industries, urbanization took place in Mumbai and it's population also grew up exponentially making it an area without proper planning. And now, Dharavi has become the largest slum in the entire Asia continent. People coming from different parts of the country seeking job in the industries, made settlement in Dharavi for it's low cost of rent. And gradually it has become a place with different people from all over the country with different languages, culture and religion. Many families are living there from generations. Dharavi provides affordable settlement in the mid of luxurious Mumbai which is one of the biggest reason of it's dense population. Inside it, many enterprises are there producing textile goods, leather goods, goods from recycling plastics etc. Most of the families are dependent on daily works and on the informal industries. The annual earning is about 650 million USD from the whole area. All the products are exported to many parts of the world. The workers get a little money but have to work hard and in very dangerous situations. There are some unoccupied spaces still remaining, which are used as dumping sites of the city. The redevelopment of the place has remained a proposal because of lack of money and interests. And many people residing there are opposing the reconstruction of the area.
The families of Dharavi live in a very small area with a number of family members. Due to it's population density, there is no proper sewage system and for that reason, during rainy season, some parts are flooded heavily. Most of the houses have no private toilets or bathrooms. The public toilets are also not maintained well. Still they have to pay for it without having any other options. A number of families use the same bathroom. The water crisis is also a major problem of the area.The garbage around there causes many diseases like malaria, typhoid, fever etc. The health system is very poor. The river Mahim creek has a major role in spreading diseases. All the trashes of the area are dumped here, making the river a source of threat to their health. During 1896, plague took lots of lives from the area. Some of the diseases are common for the entire year. In 2020, Covid-19 is also impacting the lives of the slum. The disaster of Covid -19 is still remained. If it is not controlled then it will become a major pandemic for the area. Amidst all these crisis, the people who are living there from decades are happy there. It seems like they have adjusted themselves with the worst conditions of the slum. Seeking happiness among all shortcomings should be the motive of life. They have got this. That's why they are more happier than many other rich people.
The dirty smelly streets and the heap of garbage can give you an another experience of life. It is not a place for the tourist. But people come to have the experience of being in the largest slum . Because the life is totally different there. A few yards away from it, the tall towers of wealthy people are seen. Being the center of bollywood industry, Mumbai is obviously a luxurious city. So, there are two different scenes can be seen showing the discrimination between poor and rich in our society. We often have dreams of living in a beautiful palace even though we have a beautiful and comfortable home to live in. But just think about them, think about their dreams, they are living there watching the glory and luxurious life of the richest people of the country. Don't they have any dreams? Our life is entrapped in our own choice. If we choose to be happy, then obviously we can, but if we choose to be sad, then even the diamonds cannot make you happy. The smiling faces of the barefooted children of Dharavi can teach you this.
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