A Look Inside the Jewel of Mumbai- Dharavi Slums

Recognized as ‘Asia’s largest slum’ and known to be the setting for critically acclaimed movies-Slumdog Millionaire and Gully Boy, Dharavi in Mumbai stretches over 2.1 square kilometer (520 acres) with home to 1 million people. Located in the heart of Mumbai, Dharavi is a labyrinth of narrow alleys with tiny shacks, set amidst the busy railway tracks and severely polluted Mithi River. When descending to Mumbai via air, the panoramic views of Dharavi will enrapture you and intrigue you enough to read this article.??

How did it come into existence?

The present-day Dharavi looks fascinating, but the story of how it came into existence deserves greater attention. Back in the 18th century, Dharavi was merely an island with mangrove swamps, situated adjacent to the Mahim creek and inhabited by Koli fisherman. Owing to the colonial expansion by the British government, Koli fishermen lost their livelihood and moved to other areas. At this point, people from across India took shelter in this region, which led to a diverse community.?

What is the standard of living?

According to estimates, over 60% of Mumbai’s inhabitants reside in these oldest informal dwellings. As congested as slums could be, these chawls feature low-rise structures that measures 100 sq. ft. and accommodates nearly eight people cramped in a single room with just one washroom or many even using the community washrooms. Depicting the sight of a typical slum, inhabitants lack basic amenities such as no access to safe drinking water and inadequate toilets. Toxic residue runs along the lanes of the underdeveloped slum with open sewers and dead rats leading to ailments and serious health issues, especially during the monsoons. The interior of these houses are well-maintained with curtains, flower pots and electronics. Moreover, the residents have the most expensive gadgets from Apple Iphones to latest tabs and laptops.?

Dharavi-An Industrial Hub?

In the last few years, Dharavi has transitioned into an impressive neighborhood with segregation of living and industrial spaces nearly indistinguishable. A bustling business hub with 5,000 different entities and 15000 factories, families are employed in small-scale manufacturing units accountable for surplus production of leather, steel, textiles, pottery, etc. Sounds peculiar? The slum also has over sixteen jewellery shops, selling the highest quality of diamonds. That’s not all, 80% of Mumbai’s plastic recycling activities are carried out by these residents. What might surprise you further is that there are nearly three hundred bakeries inside a slum. From designing of expensive export quality fabrics and animal skin tanned to be converted into bags, rumoured to be displayed at Gucci stores, to the papad you would probably eat in a restaurant, it is not just a slum, but a flourishing entrepreneurial unit with exporting globally to countries like United States, Middle East and Europe and its parallel economy generating a revenue of approximately $1 billion every year.?

But, it has its own implications. On the one hand, while the slum exemplifies a glorious picture, but on the other, there is a gloomy reality that cannot be overlooked. The business operations in Dharavi are highly unregulated and carried out in an unlawful manner. Like most industrial areas, the environment is excessively unsafe and harmful and the sight of children below the age of 14 years indulging in industrial activities is quite widespread.?

How educated are the residents?

Dharavi beats the common misconception that slum dwellers are not educated enough. The literacy rate in Dharavi is 69% which is the highest in India and nearly 80% of children have access to proper education. And these children communicate fluently in English. With 60 municipality schools, 4 secondary schools and 13 private schools in Dharavi, parents are realizing the importance of sending their children to school. Apart from this there are separate art, hip hop and theatre schools.??

Strong Sense of Belongingness

The most inspiring thing about Dharavi is its strong sense of community living. Life in Dharavi is vibrant and its residents are very cheerful. The sight of women chattering in a group or children running through the lanes is quite pleasing to watch. Different ethnicities reside in Dharavi- Hindu (60%), Muslim (33%), Christian (6%). The slum constitutes of 28 temples, 11 mosques, 6 churches and 24 Islamic education centres. One of the most noteworthy things is that there is very low crime in this locality, making it a relatively safe place to live in. The large, diverse settlement which lives in complete harmony, is a true reflection of Indian culture.

What is the Future of Dharavi?

As the locality grabbed attention, Dharavi was declared as a slum in 1971 by the government of Maharashtra. Since 1997, there has been continuous efforts to construct high-rise buildings and revamp the area, following Shanghai’s model. The 2004 Redevelopment Plan was based on demolishing and rebuilding step by step. However, this plan was not designed keeping in mind the welfare of its residents and witnessed resistance on such decisions as this would simply mean displacing the livelihood of millions of people.?

The tale of Asia’s largest slums is choked with struggles, but it cannot be argued that it is filled with the motivation to overcome these struggles. It is difficult to predict what lies ahead for the residents of Dharavi, but without a doubt, the people of Dharavi have demonstrated that they would not leave their comfort and global luxury markets they are associated with. Despite the cramped quarters, poor sanitation, and dangerous working conditions, people of Dharavi are wealthy and infused with ambitions. They are not lamenting on what they do not have, but rather occupied in making most of what they have. Setting aside notions of wealth, they're in fact richer than “non-dharavis” because their community is filled with immense love and support, something we must get encouraged from.