Socio-Economic Conditions of Slums Dwellers:

The socio-economic condition of the slum dwellers is generally poor because of the lack of basic social amenities; functional skills, proper education, source of income, hygiene, and health resources. However, slum dwellers directly or indirectly play an important role in nation-building. With this point of view, the study of slum dwellers becomes important. This paper attempts to demonstrate the theoretical ideas relating to the socioeconomic conditions of slum dwellers and their reasons and to extend appropriate measures for the improvement in the conditions of slum dwellers.

Since slum dwellers are the stock of potential human resources, they can be developed through skill enhancement programs initiated by the government and through appropriate public action relating to social provisions and redistribution of social amenities. This paper is conceptual in nature and based on detailed literature collected from various sources like books, research articles, NSSO reports, the Census of India, etc. Lastly, this paper suggests effective measures to minimize the problems and raise the living conditions of the slum dwellers.

Slum dwellers are vulnerable parts of society. They are facing various types of problems like health and hygiene-related problems, low levels of income, poor housing conditions, and lack of social amenities. Unhealthy living conditions of slum dwellers are the result of a lack of basic services, with visible, open sewers, lack of pathways, uncontrolled dumping of waste, polluted environments, unorganized building constructions, etc. The existence of the slum is a global phenomenon.

Some social scientists said that the slum is the by-product of the modern era. The development of the city is very important, but the provision for the slum population is needful. There is a need to develop plans and policies for the gradation of slum dwellers in terms of infrastructural development and basic amenities. Slums are increasingly faced with negative consequences such as the polarization of population in large cities, high density, slums and squatter settlements, acute shortage of housing and basic civic amenities, degradation of the environment, traffic congestion, pollution, poverty, unemployment, crime, and social unrest.

This paper is based on the secondary data sources collected from different published sources. The detailed literature are consulted and collected from various sources like books, research articles, NSSO reports, Census of India, etc. This paper illustrates the conceptual background of the slums and their classification. The general social and economic conditions of the slum dwellers are presented with the help of collected literature done by the academician’s works on slum dwellers.

The slum is one of the negative indicators of development. It shows the lack of the basic amenities. Day by day number of the urban centers is increasing. Migration of the people from rural areas to urban centers is growing. Heavy conjunction in the city forces the urban poor to live in slum areas. These areas are deprived in terms of the living conditions.

The term ‘‘slum’’ is difficult to define. The definitions for slums are qualitative such as ‘‘areas of people lacking, for example, durable housing or easy access to safe water’’. In the present time the different terms for the slums like as -many synonyms are used for the term ‘‘slum’’ such as ‘‘informal settlements,’’ ‘‘squatter,’’ ‘‘shanty town,’’ or ‘‘ghetto’’. There are also countless varying names across the globe such as ‘‘favelas’’ in Brazil, ‘‘townships’’ in Southern Africa, or ‘‘aashawa’’ in Egypt.

In India, slums are known, for example, as ‘‘jhuggis’’ in the northern parts of the country; ‘‘ahatas’’ in Kanpur; ‘‘cheries’’ in Chennai; ‘‘bustees’’ in Kolkata; ‘‘zodpatpatties,’’ ‘‘chawls,’’ or ‘‘patra chawls’’ in Mumbai and Ahmadabad. The slum dwellers are the people who are living in the slum areas. This study focuses the general socio-economic conditions of the slum dwellers.