URBANISATION

Urbanisation in India has become an inescapable ordeal. With development of the services sector, the population pressure on cities has escalated.
Delhi is the sixth-largest metropolis in the world. And yet, a third of its residences are part of slums with no basic resources.

Slums

Slums are illegal urban settlements on public land and usually grow over a period of time in a constant and irregular manner. Despite this fact, slums are considered as an integral part of urbanization and as a manifestation of the overall socioeconomic policies and planning in the urban sector.
Slums may also be described as “a chaotically occupied, unsystematically developed and generally neglected area, which is overpopulated by persons and overcrowded with ill-repaired and neglected structures” (Indian Conference, 1957).
The existence and rapid growth of slums have been noted as a general urban phenomena common prevalent throughout the globe.

Important points:

Urbanization refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change.
Cities face the adverse outcomes of rapid urbanisation such as overpopulation, acute shortage of housing and basic amenities, environment pollution, unemployment and social unrest.
The model of building a developed city comprises unplanned development, which only bolsters the dichotomy prevailing in urban cities between the rich and the poor.
Also the Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the misery of urban poor or Slum dwellers dependent on the people working in various sectors in cities.

Impact of Covid on Slum Dwellers:

Nearly 81% of India’s population works in the informal sector. The sudden implementation of complete Covid lockdown has severely affected the ability of slum dwellers to earn their living.
After the shutdown, Delhi witnessed a wave of Reverse Migration, when thousands of migrant workers headed back to their hometowns. Nearly 70% slum dwellers reported loss of employment; 1% pending dues from previous months; 10% reduction of wages and 8% other effects.
A large section of rural residents could cushion the blow of pandemic-driven economic disruption due to foodgrain via the Public Distribution System (PDS). The urban poor’s access to such ration, however, was minimal.
The social security schemes also had relatively better coverage among the rural poor as rural areas had better access to PDS rations.
A larger proportion of households in urban areas did not have access to ration cards.
The Covid-19 pandemic has now torn open the tapestry to reveal the ugly mess inside the slums. Washing hands and observing physical distancing was impossible to follow in slums.
Nearly 21.8% of slum households in Delhi depend on shared water sources such as public taps.
A decline in nutritional quality and quantity was more among the urban respondents as was the need to borrow money for buying food.
Overall, levels of hunger and food insecurity remained high, with little hope of the situation improving without measures specifically aimed at providing employment opportunities as well as food support.

Recommendations:

Accelerating efficiency of welfare and relief schemes.
Ensuring access to free vaccines, food security and adequate shelter in the slums.
Improving sanitation and transportation facilities in slums.
Establishing clinics and healthcare facilities.
Aiding nonprofits and local support bodies who have better reach to these marginalised communities.

Way Forward

The benefits reached only a small part of the intended beneficiaries. Most relief funds and benefits do not reach slum dwellers, mainly because these settlements are not officially recognised by the government.
An absence of proper social security measures in India has come to the fore and has a huge impact on our ability to fight against the virus. Thus, new approaches to urban planning and effective governance are the need of the hour.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT

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