| Download Document |
| Document Type: |
General |
| Publish Date: |
October 2014 |
| Primary Author: |
Sheela Patel |
| Edited By: |
Tabassum Rahmani |
| Published By: |
HUDCO |
This article seeks to reflect on the voices of the poor from the perspective of the organized and federated communities of slum dwellers associated with the alliance of the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC), Mahila Milan (MM) and National Slum
Dwellers Federation (NSDF). The paper will help the readers to understand and get familiar
with this alliance of professionals and slum dwellers, their processes and mechanisms of
knowledge creation, problem solving and negotiation on the issues of land security, access
to basic amenities and services, and their demonstrated abilities to produce strategies that
address their own problems as well as those of the city.
According to the UN-Habitat, the slums are groups of people living in urban areas that lack of one or more amenities like durable housing, sufficient living space, access to safe water, access to adequate sanitation and security of tenure that prevents forced evictions. it is true that not all slum dwellers suffer from the same degree of deprivation but slums are treated as black spots on the city canvas. It true that each city has pockets of slums at locations close to the economically active areas. The greater the economic activity in a city, more are the slum pockets. It is therefore important that cities device mechanisms to integrate slums with the urban scape and provide inclusive housing and social services and a safe and healthy living environment for all with particular consideration for children, youth, women, elderly and disabled, affordable and sustainable transport and energy; promotion, protection, and restoration of green urban spaces; safe and clean drinking water and sanitation; healthy air quality.
