OUTLINE: DEFINITION CAUSES OF SLUMS:Rapid Industralization; POPULATION GROWTH: LACK OF ZONING: PHYSICAL

& SOCIAL DECENTRALIZATION: LACK OF EDUCATION: POVERTY: REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE: INADEQUATE POWERS: EFFECTS OF SLUMS ON TOWN-LIFE: PEOPLES HEALTH: LACK OF SOCIO CULTURAL LIFE: PEOPLES MORAL CONDUCT: PEOPLES PERFORMANCE & EFFICIENCY: ACCELERATION OF ACCIDENTS: LACK OF PUBLIC PLACES: LACK OF CIVIC SENSE:

PRECAUTION AGAINST FORMATION OF SLUMS: POSITVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SLUMS CLEARANCE CONCLUSION ESSAY
A slum, as defined by the United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking intenure security.According to the United Nations, one billion people worldwide live in slums. There are eight main causes for the formation of slums in India. The Industrial growth and employment opportunities in towns and cities have acted as powerful magnets to attract the rural population to cites the workers employed in the in these factories & industrial areas generally make their habitation as near as possible to the place of work. They are low waged persons and cannot afford daily traveling from the distant places in the city. Hence in a short time the available land or open space is occupied by them buildings without any proper planning. This gives rise to the formation of slums. There is a great demand/supply gap between the tremendous growth of population and the construction of houses. These shortages manifest themselves in creating slums. If zoning regulations are not enforced in the early development of town, there are chances for industrial area to encroach upon residential areas. Thus very soon there emerges overcrowding with the formation of slums. One of the major reasons for slum development is the physical and social decentralization in which the rich and middle class people move out to the extension areas of city by leaving the poor in the overcrowded part of the town to make it more unsanitary. As a result the slum colonies start mushrooming at a fast rat within city. If the inhabitants are lacking in education, they may not pay attention to improve the living conditions, and lose the civic interest and neighbourhood spirit. They are therefore easily attracted by social evils, and delinquency. As a repercussion an apathy (every thing goes) emerges in people and they make slums. One of the main causes for the slum formation can be described in one word as poverty. The meager and unsteady income leaves the family with no other choice but to direct all the energies in earning their daily bread and butter with some minimal clothing. It is difficult for them to pay heavy rent for a decent living. They therefore move in slum move in slum areas, for nobody with black money builds decent houses for the slum-dwellers.

There is nothing wrong with old houses if they are looked after from time to time. But in India, repair and maintenance are the foreign words. Hence most of these buildings remain in a state of decay to favor the formation of slums. Lack of adequate powers and enforcing the same by the local authorities for the proper development of the town are also the reasons for the formation of slums. If preventive measures are not taken in time, the decent localities of the town will be the slums of tomorrow. Even Chandigarh which is a planned capital is growing beyond the bounds of rigid planning in suburbs and slums. There are seven major effects of slums on town life. Unhealthy conditions are created due to absence of public facilities like water supply, drainage, sanitation and light etc. the sub-human conditions of the slums considerably affect the health and life of the people. There is complete absence of social and cultural life due to slum formation in the city. The mental outlook of the slum dweller is affected due to his physical environment. He develops low moral character as such he is easily attracted by vice, delinquency, crime and clandestine activities in bootlegging, narcotics, drugs, adulteration, etc. The overcrowding area is full of noise, smoke and congestion. This affects considerably on the working conditions of the people in offices, schools, hospitals etc. Due to slum development the road trend to become congested i.e. children play on roads so there is a danger from traffic accidents. With the development of slums all open areas being attacked and there emerge no open space for recreation, pure air etc. A slum dweller loses his ambition, civic interest as well as wholesome neighborhood spirit. In short a slum as such forms a black spot and spoils the healthy environment of the city as a whole. Thus it becomes an abject need to improve the physical, social & cultural life of city. And preventive measures shall be taken to avoid formation of slums. The slums in the towns gradually grow & develop to prevent them. Slums are health hazards to the cities which later on create serous socio-economic and political problems. Thus Nip in the bud or Prevention is better than cure are the watch words against the formation.First of all, the authorities should make provision for healthy conditions of living and working. The subsidized cheap housing in sufficient number should be provided for the workers, Labourers, and poor people with all civic amenities and utility services. The authorities should enforce the law that the employers should provide better housing facilities for their Labourers. They should have power to control the rents under Rend Restriction Act. They should arrest the sub-standard and unauthorized constructions on vacant lands. Proper wages should be provided to the labors to improve their standard of living. The laborers in return should maintain and carry out repairs whenever required so as to keep the existing buildings in a good condition. The laborers should be properly educated to take care of health, cleanliness and general welfare of their families. Positives 1. Reduced public health risks in early days. Note that in early days, slum clearance did not mean rehousing. Areas were cleared, but without new houses being built, homelessness was increased, and other areas became even more crowded. 2.Massive increase in the housing stock 3.Reduced overcrowding

Negatives Broke up communities Encouraged corruption Cost a ton of money Took a really long time Huge problems with rehousing Slums are representing the status of a country and Pakistan has alarge number of polluted and underdeveloped areas in form of slums or katchi abadi. Big cities in Pakistan like Lahore and Karachi also have one third area of slums.