However, this is one the ‘better’ shanty towns to live in. Why? Since it is the slum of ‘hope’ this may be due to the fact some families have lived there for generations or long periods of time; which has led to development because some people now have brick housing, running water and even electricity. What's more, local communities provide recreational facilities, industries, healthcare, roads local communities and schools but most importantly provide hundreds of thousands of jobs. Besides, industries within Dharavi contribute £1billion to India’s economy yearly which helps to keep unemployment rates down though most of this is cheap labour.
Although, most people are low skilled and illiterate due to low paid jobs consuming their time. People rather rely on businesses such as: leather tanning, metal work, ceramics, pottery and furniture along with recycling of: aluminium cans, cardboard boxes, plastic bags and steel barrels (these are usually found around Mumbai). The recycling industry could deliver positives to the community such as waste handling and using up of less landfill sites.
In contrast, the wealthy side of town consist of places of high rise tenements such as those in the CBD such as Malabar hill. It is a former colonial area but is now home to Mumbai’s rich it provides elevation and stunning views next to the coastline. This part of Mumbai is less densely populated and even has parks and open space which are not seen elsewhere.
Yet, there are still problems in Dharavi such as those of air and noise pollution due to the tanneries and pottery also high congestion means that this situation has become worse; which has led to respiratory problems (cancer and tuberculosis being one of them). Also, as people have informal jobs pay can go up as well as down causing people to have bad diets and weak immune systems hence spread of illnesses is more likely.
Things are getting better as Mumbai has proposed a regeneration plan which aims to help the situation from deteriorating. A scheme aims to provide ‘free’ tenements that are being built for 87,000 residents who can prove that they have resided there since 1995 and ‘spares’ will go in the market for sale. But it could still pose problems as investment plans are being carried out by 3rd party businesses and it will substantial where the fine line is drawn between rent, ‘free’ housing and profits. Consequently, meaning that mostly the rich will be favoured and as a result will benefit in this conflict and the working class will be neglected.
Additionally, since the 1980’s and the ‘Brown Agenda’, the city and industrial development corporation have 20 satellite towns on the mainland around Mumbai, in as attempt to ease congestion and pollution. Vashi is one such town situated between Mumbai and New Bombay, close to the road bridge across Thane Creek. The town is built on high ground surrounded by marshland; Vashi has provided homes for 10,000 people. The homes have one room of 14 square metres, an inside toilet and a tap providing fresh running water. Within the first year of completion, 12,500 people have been attracted to the area. Combined with an effort in 1996 unleaded was introduced, all new cars were fitted with catalytic convertors and motorised Rickshaws have been banned from inner city areas due to their emissions. This is an attempt by the government to encourage Urban sprawl and to ease congestion in the inner city area mainly the CBD. This has helped to improve air quality but is this really enough since more and more people are over-populating Dharavi and other slum areas in a effort to earn money and live a better life.
Nevertheless, there still are several problems such as much of the slum areas have to be cleared before development can even begin and heaps of people do not have the correct papers and cannot possibly prove that they have resided in Dharavi since 1995. As a consequence lots of people will be left homeless. Accompanied by underhand corruption and the Indian Mafia could create insecurity for residents and may be forced to sign as a majority vote is needed (though there may not be choice). This could be amplified by the fact that very small enterprises may be forced to close as extra land is at market price this will create a domino effect as specialist business which make Dharavi special such as jewellery, tanning, pottery and recycling along with polluting industries also shut down due to new laws could cause the economy as a whole to go down. Mostly the very poor will be effected increasing poverty and unemployment in the area.
Then again not everything is bad as Dharavi is just short of the Mithi River and is on high land. Therefore there are high prices on the land and people within enterprises are entitled to 225 square foot of land ‘free to sell’.
In short Dharavi’s poor and economy provided by the area will plummet especially in the long run. Some residents will be provided housing and better services though this may only be thinking in the short-term as 3rd party businesses think more about profits as rent of the area increases. Essentially, most lower class citizens will be pushed to the suburbs of Mumbai and wealthy people with take their place. Ultimately leading to the regeneration of Dharavi.