Squatter settlements in Mumbai, India
A problem of rapid The movement of people from the countryside to the city. is the development of An area of makeshift housing, often unplanned and built illegally.. In Mumbai the squatter settlement of Dharavi is now home to over one million people. Dharavi lies between two railway lines and is one of the biggest squatter settlements in the world. The squatter settlement is unplanned and has these characteristics:
- overcrowded, noisy and smelly
- houses are made from wood, corrugated iron, plastic sheeting and metal from oil drums
- lack of sanitation, clean drinking water and open sewers for many residents
- pollution and disease are common
- thousands of workshops and people employed in the Cash-in-hand jobs where people do not pay taxes to the government. There are an estimated 15,000 single-room factories and around 5,000 businesses.
A street in Dharavi, Mumbai, India