Efforts Made Towards The Redevelopment of Slums
India boasts of being one of the fastest developing nations in the world and very soon we are likely to be the fastest growing economies on earth. The path to development for any nation is paved with obstacles for the government as well as for its citizens. In any country with hardships, there is outrage against the government. In these loud cries of sufferings more often than not, the efforts of the government usually remain unheard and not given precedence.
Slums are assumed to pose a hindrance in the path of urban development. The life of a slum dweller is characterised by a notable lack of elemental services and our government recognizes the deplorable living standards of slum dwellers. It has put in significant efforts to improve the standard of living of slum developers and towards the redevelopment of these establishments, the most recent being the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Under this scheme ,The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation has sanctioned 1,00,537 more houses for the urban poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs 4,200 crore, taking the total investment so far approved to Rs 1,00,466 Cr. This program aims to provide housing for all by 2022 through provisions of in-situ development and for affordable housing.
Among other notable welfare schemes, the most important is the Jawaharlal Nehru national urban renewal mission. JNNURM concentrates on the fundamental needs and rights of the underserved poor in the cities. The programme encouraged investments to flow for basic services in cities, particularly for the urban poor.
Along with the central government, the state governments have been putting in efforts to tackle the problems faced by the residents of slums. In Dharavi, the second largest slum in the world, the Dharavi Redevelopment project is set to generate a massive housing stock in the future. According to the plan, the housing body would get approximately 8, 000 houses in the fifth sector of Dharavi Redevelopment project and shift 9700 families into better houses.
Along similar lines, in the capital of our nation, the Delhi government will construct multi-story apartments to rehabilitate the slum dwellers living in Lajpat Nagar, Bhalswa, Dev Nagar, Mongol Puri and Ambedkar Nagar. 6178 EWS (Economic Weaker Section) flats are to be constructed at the cost of Rs866 crore, along with 24/7 sanitation facilities for the slum dwellers.
However, Providing Basic Infrastructure to the slum dwellers solves only a part of the problem. Slum dwellers face obstacles in trying to integrate with the urban society and the demands of the lifestyle. The government has taken steps to provide a secure environment for the overall development of the slum population. to encourage personal growth of each member, the National Skill Development mission was set up by the government in 2015. Each person under this scheme works towards gaining a skillset beneficial to them that also enables them to explore opportunities for further improvement.
The emergence of slums is not unique to India, they exist in various other parts of Africa and Asia and a mere 70 years ago, Chinatown, New York was one of the largest slums in the world. The housing for all policy is modelled on the construction act of USA that helped eradicate slums.
As illustrated by the aforementioned schemes, the government is putting hard work into planning and implementation of policies that are not only aimed at providing infrastructure but improving the living standards and lifestyle of slum dwellers. The path to development is fraught with obstacles and our policy makers have been putting their efforts into providing the best solutions available.
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Regards,
The CSR Journal Team
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