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Something to think about - November 2007 DHARAVI REHABILITATION AND THE SLUM ETHOS - By Mukesh Mehta The greatest failure in slum rehabilitation thus far has not been paltry success rate of the current Slum Rehabilitation Scheme adopted in Mumbai, nor has it been the lack of Governmental support in terms of financial investment. Piecemeal slum schemes and charity have never been sustainable models for rehabilitation. The failure lies at a far more basic level of thinking that slums constitute only a housing problem as opposed to an economic problem as well. The failure lies in not harnessing the spirit of a group of people that can and will act as an engine for economic growth. If slum dwellers are treated as valuable human resources, they can act as a key stone to a vibrant and robust economy. Success lies in good urban planning which will integrate slum areas with the rest of the city and provide for sustainable development. Success lies in giving slum dwellers a spring board to convert themselves into a middle income community. Below, is strategy for the redevelopment of Dharavi (Asia’s largest and filthiest slum), and how the ethos within the slums can help India convert a problem of immense proportions into an opportunity of a lifetime. In April 1997, I was first introduced to the slum rehabilitation scheme of Maharashtra government. Like most planners and builders my interest stems from looking at an opportunity for real estate development. Even though I was ignorant of the slum ethos, my entrepreneurial mindset felt, that based on the size and location of Dharavi combined with the incentives provide by the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme there was an enormous opportunity to redevelop Dharavi. However, everyone that I spoke to thought I was crazy. They felt that the challenges faced in redeveloping Dharavi would far surpass the potential benefits imaginable by them. With days, weeks & months passing by & my close interaction with the slum dwellers, government officers, political leaders & representations of NGO’s my perception of slum ethos changed dramatically. I no longer thought of slum dwellers as losers or zeroes. In fact I realized that there is somebody very vibrant and heroic about this group of people who have asked everything to seek a better life for themselves in the big city. While many think of them as “leeches on society” they are a tremendous source of inspiration for me. This was further reinforced when it occurred to me that they were no different from my father who came from a small village in Gujarat with Rs. 10 in is pocket and lofty dreams. Like most migrants who have broken the shackles of their wretched rural lifestyles to live in the urban environment they did so because they wanted to do something more meaningful with their lives, earn money, educate their children and if fortune favoured, become rich and famous. The slum dwellers of today are no different. They have not come to Mumbai to get free houses or to squat on the pavements and public spaces. The shanties that they live in are not even free. They either pay rent or purchase their abodes from slumlords and live in sub human conditions because there is no decent affordable housing in Mumbai for them with the paltry sums they possess. I do not find them very different from the Non – Residential Indians (NRIs) who migrant to foreign countries where they flourish and soon become a part of main stream. I realized that the Government of Maharashtra’s slum rehabilitation scheme is an excellent one and with marginal modifications it can significantly better the life’s of the hapless slum dwellers. I spent sleepless nights assessing the challenge in front of Mumbai and seeking solutions. I wanted to make a difference; a significant one. I started evaluating options and finally concluded that for effective slum rehabilitation it was important to integrate slum dwellers with the main stream of Mumbai just as NRIs have integrated themselves abroad. Effective integration could take place only if the slum dwellers were provided infrastructure for services, like the rest of the citizens, such as transportation, power etc as well as infrastructure for high quality amenities for HIKES (Health, Income, Knowledge, Environment, Socio-cultural development). Once the core strategy was clear the rest was not so difficult. The entire development of Dharavi is based on sustainable development for HIKES. I realized that mere planning is not essential so I brought the concept of public private partnership, not only in buildings, but also in amenities that are provided. While the summary of amenities given herein below is far from exhaustive it should be adequate to paint a picture of how Dharavi is going to be redeveloped. Health: The Association of Day Care Surgery will set up a state of the art polyclinic in Dharavi. While they are at liberty to charge their normal fees to everyone, they provide the same health care to Dharavi residents at massive discounts. Income: Institutes such as the National Institute of Design (NID), will set up a campus in Dharavi, and will provide training to the local craftsmen (leather craftsmen, potters, jewelry makers, etc.) to upgrade their skills, design capability, and production standards to international levels. In the case of the Kumbhars of Dharavi, NID will convert them from simple potter into world ceramic makers. Furthermore, the Gem and Jewelry Export Promotion Council will set over 300 international standard factories in Dharavi which are likely to produce approximately Rs 6900 crores worth of annual exports and employ 75,000 people. In addition to this, wide roads and ample parking will give a major boost to shop owners who otherwise only had to depend on local clientele. Knowledge: The best school systems of Mumbai will set up campuses in Dharavi where their fee paying students cross-subsidize the children of Dharavi who will get the exact same caliber of education for free. Environment: There will be ample amount of green spaces throughout Dharavi. Furthermore, infrastructure for Solid waste treatment, waste water waste water management, eco-friendly housing, vermiculture, etc, will make Dharavi the most clean and green suburb of Mumbai. Socio-cultural development: Amenities such as movie theaters, play houses, large cricket stadium of India and international standard cricket Hall of Fame museum, sports complexes, bars, and restaurants will Dharavi into one of the most culturally alive parts of the city. Beyond improving the lives of the residents of Dharavi, the provision of the above amenities performs the equally important task of integrating Dharavi back in Mumbai. The economy of Dharavi will therefore benefit because the remainder of the entire city will spend part of their disposable income there, instead of shunning the area as they once did. Just like any other suburb, this suburb will be utilized by the entire city. People will travel any length to ensure that they receive the best medical care or a top quality education. And just as people go other parts of the city to enjoy a good meal or a movie, so will they go to Dharavi. The slum dwellers of today, with absolutely no infrastructure, have survived, and some of them have even flourished. It is my dream to give them a platform on which to reach their full potential. There are hundred and thousands of potential lawyers, doctors, traders, businessmen’s, entertainer’s and sportsmen currently living in slums. These so – called “leeches on societies” will show the world how vital they can be, given only half a chance to do so. The 10 years journey of my team has been a long and an arduous one. It has been a challenge to a shift in paradigm and change the mind set of people at all levels. We have chipped away little by little and convinced the various stakeholders that our solution for slum rehabilitation is the best one as yet anywhere in the world. We have paid dearly emotionally and financially but for most part, we are extremely satisfied with our success in getting various stakeholders on board. There is however a small group having vested interest, who are doing their very best to undermine the project. With the strong support we are receiving both from the State & Central government, we are confident that the project will be successfully implemented. HELP organizes free HELP Talks daily at HELP HELP - the Health Education Library for People, India's first Consumer Health Education Resource Center, and one of the world's largest consumer health libraries (as determined by the Medical Library Association, USA) was established in 1997 to empower people by providing them with the information they need to promote their health , and prevent and treat medical problems in the family in partnership with their doctor. We are a registered charitable trust and a non-profit organization. We offer the following facilities:
We have access to information on every health and medical topic under the sun - explained in terms which the layperson can understand. HELP has become a prototype of the modern digital library. Our website at http://www.healthlibrary.com is India's leading health portal, and receives over half a million hits a month! We are a public library - everyone is welcome! Entry to HELP is free! We are open Monday through Saturday, from 10 am to 6.30 pm. For those unable to come personally to the library, we also answer questions by post or e-mail. This is an innovative service called MISS-HELP (Medical Information Search Services from HELP) which allows us to provide medical information to users from all over India. We feel patients are the largest untapped healthcare resource and that Information Therapy is Powerful Medicine! Please do come and visit HELP!
Dr. Aniruddha Malpani,
MD
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