Growing slums mar the beauty of city

According to a recent survey, Hyderabad has the second largest number of slums after Mumbai. As the city grows, more villagers migrate to the city for employment and odd jobs. In the absence of cheap accommodation, they live in slums. And how do they develop a slum? Read on

A prime land in the city is located between two places of worship. A few years ago, a small idol surfaced from the soil in the area. People gathered there in hundreds. A priest from a nearby temple was summoned. It was declared that it was God’s wish to build a temple at this site. This is the scenario at survey numbers 45 and 60 at IS Sadan in Saidabad Mandal, Santhoshnagar. Slowly localites, land sharks and politicians started performing ‘pujas’ at the location.

“It’s a miracle, a sacred land,” was the opinion and it was decided that a temple should be constructed in this area. This was what the local leader also dreamt on Dussera. His dreams had wings and so it was decided that a temple and masjid be constructed.

According to reports, the market value of this land at IS Sadan is Rs 100 crore. The authorities have Supreme Court orders but are unable to take physical possession of this land. Whenever the authorities go for physical possession, land sharks, politician and locals threaten and attack them. As the place is located between two places of worship, hundreds of people of one faith descend on the place and intimidate the police and revenue officers.

Already two acres of land has been encroached and a few temporary and ‘pucca’ structures are put up at this site in IS Sadan. These places of worship have been constructed through land grabbers in the name of God, who make a quick buck by exploiting the religious sentiments of gullible public.

These places of worship have been constructed through land grabbing in the name of God, usually by anti-social elements, in collusion with politicians. Generally, people either place a deity’s idol or photo alongside the main road, fence or trees growing on government land to make it a ‘religious’ place for people to gather.

The Census 2011 data speaks of an astounding 264 per cent increase in slum population in and around Hyderabad. The municipality area now has 5.07 lakh slum households with 22.7 lakh dwellers.

This is how ‘slums’ are shaped. But are these ‘slums’ or ‘squatters’? How are these words different? A slum is a land, unfit for human habitat because of lack of amenities. The families who occupy these lands are squatters. A slum may not necessarily be a squatter but a squatter is always a slum dweller. How do these squatters burgeon? Big dreams, aspirations attract villagers in droves to cities. Second, politicians for their vote bank permit squatter settlements and help them regularise by getting them meters, and in course of time the property.

Transportation logistics is another reason. For many, common service jobs, especially the low paying jobs, the long commute into and out of the city, takes a big bite out of low paychecks. So living in a slum in the urban core is closer to work, reducing transportation cost for these low-income wage earners.

Slum-dwellers are used as vote banks only and kept on tender hooks; their ignorance is to the benefit of the politicians. The fact that slum dwellers are the people who contribute majorly to urban productivity, local economy and functioning of the city, is yet to be properly understood. Investments in their welfare and well-being would go a long way in making development inclusive. Till such time there is political enlightenment, slum dwellers would continue to be a deprived and exploited lot and our cities would continue to showcase picture of stark contrasts and underdevelopment.

No one denies that slums - also known as shantytowns, squatter cities, and informal settlements - have serious problems. They are overcrowded, unhealthy, and emblems of profound inequality and poverty. But among architects, planners, and other thinkers, there is a growing realisation that they also possess unique strengths, and may even hold lessons in successful urban development and are eco-friendly.