How Engineering Can Improve

Life in Slums

Assignment - 2
Engineering Economics ( HU-302 )

By: - SAURAV BANSAL (2K18-ME-202 )

SHIVAM (2K18-ME-207 )
 INDEX

S.NO TOPIC
1. SLUMS AND PROBLEMS

2. MAJOR PROBLEMS FACED IN SLUM

3. SOLUTION

4. WATER ATM’s

5. POLLUTION AND WASTE DISPOSAL

6. “ AI “ BASED WASTE SEGREGATION

7. SANITATION AND OTHER THINGS

8. RCC ROOFS, POLYMER ROADS

9. WAY FORWARD

10. REFERENCES
 Slums & Problems
What are 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. The existence and rapid growth of slums have been
noted as a general urban phenomena common prevalent throughout the globe.
● According to the United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, a slum is a run-down area
of a city characterized by substandard housing and poverty and lacking in tenure security.
According to the United Nations, the proportion of urban dwellers living in slums
decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the developing world between 1990 and 2005.
However, due to the rising population, the number of slum dwellers is rising day by day.
● 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). They
have emerged out of the urban development process and are unplanned, unintended
settlements ignored in the whole process of urban development.
● Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, lies on prime property right in the middle of Mumbai
(Neza, in Mexico, is the world’s largest slum).
 Reasons for growing slums

● Population explosion and poverty force the urban poor to live in slums and that
leads to an increase in the size of slums. Also, a regional imbalance in development
creates rural to urban migration, thus increasing the overall urban population density
which pressurizes the urban poor to move into slums.
● In the past 15 years, India’s urban population density has increased by 45%. It is
further estimated that 40% of the population will live in urban areas by 2026. With an
increasingly densified urban population, there exists a huge demand for land. This
shortage of land forces the urban poor to live in increasingly dense communities creating
slums in the process.
● Rising material costs and labor costs resulting from labor shortage is another
reason for the growth of slums as it makes developers unable to deliver affordable housing

to the market.[1]

● Also, delayed procedures for land development forces people to stay in congested
areas which further leads to creation of slums.
● A lack of efficiency of urban local bodies coupled with unplanned city management
is also one of the major reasons for creation of slum areas.
● Moreover, social backwardness forces people to live in congested areas away from
main areas. For example, more Scheduled Castes (SCs) live in slums - with one out of
every five residents belonging to the SC category.
● A lack of political will for developing slums can also be seen, as slums provide
cheap and steady labour (party-workers) to political parties.
 Issues arising from neglecting slum development

● Slums act as a magnet for the rural poor by attracting them towards city life. This it
does by partially blinding them from the hardships that accompany life in the city.
● People living in slum areas are also prone to suffer from waterborne diseases such
as typhoid and cholera, as well as from more fatal ones like cancer and HIV/AIDS.
● Also, women and children living in slums are prone to become victims of social
evils like prostitution, beggary and child trafficking. Slum dwellers in general and
regardless of gender, often become victims of such social evils.
● Slum areas are also commonly believed to be places that generate a high incidence
of crime. This is due to official neglect towards education, law and order, and government
services in slum areas.
● Then, the majority of slum dwellers in a developing country earn their living from
the informal sector which neither provides them with financial security nor with enough
earnings for a decent living, keeping them firmly within the vicious cycle of poverty.
 MAJOR PROBLEMS FOR SLUMS

POOR STRUCTURAL QUALITY AND DURABILITY OF HOUSES :--

Poor quality and overcrowded housing in slums has a significant impact on people's lives.
Poor housing means diseases spread more easily, the effect of disasters like flooding are
amplified, and people are denied their privacy and safety.

INSUFFICIENT LIVING AREAS :--

More number of people living in one room. They live in congested areas with thin lanes,
no drainage facilities.

LACK OF SECURE TENURE :--

People are not certain about their existence in the slum they are living in as they may be
asked to leave it any time further worsening their lives.

POOR ACCESS TO WATER :--

People do not get proper drinking water as in that area due to lack of government’s
negligence, proper facilities of water are not there.

EDUCATION :--

A child not getting education is something sad that unfortunately is happening in these

places. Children do miss school because they do not have the money to go.
SANITATION AND HEALTH FACILITIES :--

Poor sanitation and unsafe water claim the lives of many slum dwellers every year.
Contaminated water supplies, poor hygiene and a lack of decent toilets and sewerage
increase the spread of deadly diseases in slums. Diarrhoea kills 1.5 million children under
five each year. Without toilets, women suffer from the lack of privacy and dignity, and the
burden of getting water (often from far away) usually falls on women and girls. The price
of available water and sanitation facilities is often unaffordable . [2]
 “ SOLUTION’S ”
( SOR SLUM PROBLEM USING ENGINEERING METHODS )

1. SOLAR WATER ATM’S :

● Clean drinking water problem:--

One in about six urban Indians live in slums, defined by UN Habitat as a place
characterised by lack of durable housing, insufficient living area, lack of access to clean
water, inadequate sanitation and insecure tenure. Over 70% of slum households get their
water from a tap, but just half get water inside their homes. The National Sample Survey,
69th Round, (2012) showed 94.2% of slum households got water from stand-posts,
bore-wells, or bought bottled water.

Extent of contamination in water supply to urban slums.can cause :

This indicates the following:

1. The slum population is at significant risk of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea,

cholera, jaundice and typhoid.

2. Combined with poor sanitation and hygiene, this section is also much more vulnerable
to acute respiratory diseases as compared to the non-slum population.
3. This burden of disease translates into higher expenditure on health, morbidity and
mortality.

● How solar energy and IoT can come together to solve drinking water crisis

Equipped with a doctorate in Physics and natural sciences from IIT Kanpur, Dr Vibha
Tripathi had already conducted extensive research work in solar energy, and this made her
realise the need for smart technology to solve the multi-layered drinking water problem in
India.
The IoT framework used by Swajal's Water ATMs was built by the firm's R&D team from
the ground up.

"IoT-based monitoring on the cloud platform allows us to remotely manage, update, and
repair each system. Our IoT framework can automatically analyse problems and take the
relevant actions if any machine faces an issue. The IoT technology has made us capable of
measuring the impact even across remote areas in real-time,"[3]

● How Swajal Water ATMs' work :--

In a rural Water ATM by Swajal, solar energy is used to pump water from rivers, wells,
ponds or groundwater - depending on the location. The water is then treated with UV light
and an ozone generator. The systems can also desalinate water. The cost of one machine is
recovered within three to five years.

The solar-run systems installed in villages also conserve water in a way that rejected
water is stored in a tank and the villagers use it for cleaning, washing, irrigation and
other uses. This helps prevent water wastage and promotes its optimal use.

The water purifiers by Swajal come in different sizes ranging from per-day
purification capacities of three lakh litres to six lakh litres. They are tested in the
in-house manufacturing unit of the firm.

India has an intricate mix of different types of landforms which gives rise to a
variety of pollutants depending on the location. Keeping this in mind, the IoT-based
water purifiers can deal with area-specific contaminants.
Pollution & Waste Disposal
Present Status of Waste Generation in India

Urbanization directly contributes to waste generation, and unscientific waste

handling causes health hazards and urban environment degradation. Municipal
Solid Waste (MSW) is defined to include refuse from the households, non-hazardous
solid waste discarded by the industrial, commercial and institutional
establishments, market waste, yard waste and street sweepings which are collected
by the municipal authorities for disposal. As the result of rapid increase in
production and consumption, urban society rejects and generates solid material
regularly which leads to considerable increase in the volume of waste generated
from several sources such as, domestic wastes, commercial wastes, institutional
wastes and industrial wastes. Wastes that arise from a typical urban society
comprises garbage, rubbish (package materials), construction and demolition
wastes, leaf litter, hazardous wastes, etc.[4]

Waste Generation and Disposal Status of Indian cities :--

● 36 % (8 out of 22) cities generate more than 1000 TPD of waste

(Ahmedabad, Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Pune and
Surat)
● 13.6 % (3 out of 22) cities generate waste between 500-1000 TPD (Indore,
Ludhiana and Vadodara)
● 50 % (11 out of 22) cities generate less than 500 TPD of waste (Agartala,
Asansol, Chandigarh, Faridabad, Guwahati, Jamshedpur, Kochi, Kozhikode,
Mangalore, Mysore and Shimla)
● 63.6 % (14 out of 22) cities supply more than 75% of their waste to
dumpsites (Ahmedabad, Asansol, Chandigarh, Delhi, Faridabad, Greater
Mumbai, Jaipur, jamshedpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Pune
and Vadodara)
● Out of the 17 class I cities, 47.05 % (8) have a single dumpsite, 29.4 % (5)
have 2 dumpsites, 5.88 % (1) has 3 dumpsites and 11.76 % (2) have 4
dumpsites.
 Current practices regarding solid waste in India :

➢ Generally solid waste is disposed of in low-lying areas, outskirts of cities,

alongside roads or any vacant place wherever waste collectors find that they
will not be seen or objected to by anybody.

➢ Handling of waste by solid waste workers is done without taking any

precautions or protective measures which lead to many communicable and
non-communicable diseases to them.

➢ Community bin collection system is usually practised in India for collection

of waste by civic bodies. But these bins are neither properly designed as per
requirements and quantity nor are they placed at proper places so that they
are within reach of everybody hence the people who find these bins beyond
their reach throw their waste anywhere at vacant places.

➢ Vehicles transporting this waste are also not designed properly. Neither they
are covered nor equipped with instruments to collect the whole waste. So
waste scatters here and there during collection and transportation.

➢ Landfill sites are also not scientifically designed so create air, water and soil
pollution. Waste workers on these sites work without any protective measures
and are prone to various diseases

➢ Lack of coordination among various departments of civic bodies also lead to

poor management of solid waste management.

➢ Public apathy and low social status assigned to this task has made the
situation worse.
 ➢ Mixed Waste: In India all waste whether it is biodegradable, recyclable,
construction, hazardous or soiled are mixed together. No system of
segregation at the source level exists here

➢ Rapidly increasing population and waste respectively: Now we are 1.21

billion (census 2011) and are rapidly increasing. Newly urbanised areas and
semi-urban areas are already feeling the burden of population and
accordingly civic services and waste management is coming as a challenge in
these areas.

➢ Lack of Planning: In India, there is no law regarding waste disposal and

treatment of residential areas/apartments/flats at the time of passing plan of
these areas where there waste will be disposed off and Dimpal Vij / Procedia
- Social and Behavioral Sciences 37 ( 2012 ) 437 – 447 445 how it will be
treated.

➢ Lack of Resources: As civic bodies give very low priority to SWM

accordingly very less budget is assigned for it. Whatever funds are assigned
they are only for waste collection and transportation and not for treatment or
recycling.

➢ Old Equipment and Technology: If we leave big metropolitan cities, in India

there are no specifically designed landfill sites in class II and class III cities
to dump the waste.

Way pollution can be dealt or treated off: ---------

1. CONVERTING WASTE INTO ENERGY :--

Waste-to-energy is the use of combustion and biological technologies to recover

energy from urban wastes. There are three major waste to energy conversion routes
– thermochemical, biochemical and physico-chemical. Thermochemical
conversion, characterized by higher temperature and conversion rates, is best
suited for lower moisture feedstock and is generally less selective for products. On
the other hand, biochemical technologies are more suitable for wet wastes which
are rich in organic matter.
 ➢Biochemical Conversion of Waste --

Biochemical processes, like anaerobic digestion, can also produce clean energy in the
form of biogas which can be converted to power and heat using a gas engine. Anaerobic
digestion is the natural biological process which stabilizes organic waste in the absence of
air and transforms it into biofertilizer and biogas.[5]

Anaerobic digestion is a reliable technology for the treatment of wet, organic waste.
Organic waste from various sources is biochemically degraded in highly controlled,
oxygen-free conditions resulting in the production of biogas which can be used to produce
both electricity and heat.

In addition, a variety of fuels can be produced from waste resources including liquid fuels,
such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and gaseous fuels, such as
hydrogen and methane. The resource base for biofuel production is composed of a wide
variety of forestry and agricultural resources, industrial processing residues, and
municipal solid and urban wood residues. Globally, biofuels are most commonly used to
power vehicles, heat homes, and for cooking.
 ➢ AI based waste collection and segregation:---

Waste management is a continuous process of the collection, transport, treatment and

disposal of waste. Monitoring and regulation are a very important part of the waste
management process. With the increasing amount in the waste generation it is imperative
that we make the process of waste disposal and treatment as efficient as possible. When
domestic household waste is considered, the disposal method includes collection of waste
by the government authorities at the doorstep of the people.
But most of the time the waste is not segregated properly, which affects the further
segregation stages in a negative manner. Our goal is to find an efficient and a cost
effective method to segregate waste at the lowest possible level. the generators of waste
are supposed to segregate the waste into three parts which are biodegradable, non
biodegradable and domestic hazardous wastes and hand them over to the local authorities
on a time to time basis. Untreated waste become a breeding point for many harmful
microorganisms

This model consists of training a neural network to classify the images into biodegradable
and non-biodegradable wastes. Logistic regression and basic binary classification is
applied. The images are classified into glass, metal, paper, plastic, cardboard and trash.

The neural network in consideration involves four layers, convolution, pooling, dropout,
flatten and dense. This is followed by the activation function to give the output image.
Using supervised learning, initially the data is collected and augmentation is done. The
images are then stored in a 1D array and further labelled for testing the model. The
advantage of this type of segregation is the ease of segregation and also the accuracy of
the segregation of waste.
METHOD USED :--
Deep learning neural networks are of prime importance when it comes to image
recognition, classification and detection . Different layers of the neural network work
together in order to achieve the given output. Each layer can either reduce the dimensions
or work on sampling the image. Convolution neural network (CNN) is a type of neural
network where a multilayer perceptron is used. It is helpful in identifying a general 2D
image and collecting the information .

The network is made up of:

● input layer
● convolution layer
● sample layer
● output layer

To improve the accuracy and structure, the convolution layer and sample layer can be
multi-layered. In CNN, instead of checking the whole image, we check the local area
containing valuable information about the image which sometimes is called Region CNN
or RCNN.
 SANITATION AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT FOR
SLUMS

I. USE OF RCC SLABS FOR ROOFING PURPOSE :---

Houses in slums are made from a variety of materials ranging from plastics, poly
bags to concrete. However nowadays a transition from the ‘kutcha’ makeshift homes to
the permanent concrete houses has been prominently made in a majority of slums. But the
existing roof in such houses is that of AC Sheets over the brick walls which is of no drastic
help either. During the rainy season, AC sheets’ roofing gets damaged which thus results
in water leakage and dampening of the walls. Furthermore, the drainage system in
between the tenements ordinarily doesn’t function properly and thereby causes frequent
choking of drains due to steep slopes. A pertinent solution to this problem could be use of
Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) slab roofing. [6]

To enhance the load carrying capacity of concrete it is reinforced with steel bars
(Rebars) of different diameters provided in an appropriate manner. Such concrete is called
Reinforced Concrete and the rebars are called the reinforcement. These rebars are
provided at various locations in the required number and diameters to resist the internal
forces, which are developed due to the loads acting on the structure. The brick tiles being
porous and moreover laid on mud and mud-plaster duly grouted with cement sand mortar
do not gain too much heat in summer and thermo-action is negligible, therefore cracks do
not occur in the joint of brick tiles.

Whereas the marble/ kotah stone or terrazzo tiles which are generally laid over a
bed of cement mortar after laying brick-ballast concrete on R.C.C. roofs gain heat too
much and due to thermo-action, hair cracks occur in the joints of stone slabs and tiles
even in the first summer. When there is continuous rain, the water penetrates in the roof
through the hair cracks in the joints and dampness will appear under the roof slab. Slab
under the bed of stone slabs and tiles in terrace floors and floors of bathrooms etc.

III. Water purification using rechargeable polymer beads

:----

POU water purification can pare the cost of pure, safe water to meet the needs of
the neediest. This breakthrough holds the promise of reducing the impact of water borne
diseases throughout the developing world. HaloPure: a new and enabling technology for
POU. One such “enabling” technical advance is the development of an entirely new
biocidal medium in the form of chlorine rechargeable polystyrene beads that is based on
patented chemistry invention, [7]

The fundamental principles of the HaloPure reversibly binds chlorine. There is a

shift in attitudes on improving safe water access. Unchlorinated technologies are
deceptively simple to understand, although their incorporation into a reliably reproducible
and practical medium for water sanitation has taken years of intense effort and research.
 Porous polystyrene beads are similar to those used for water softener resin beds,
and are modified chemically so as to be able to bind chlorine or bromine reversibly in its
oxidative form. One way to think of this compound is as solid-state chloramines, biocidal
in its own right, by virtue of giving up their chlorine to microbes that come in contact with
them. But, unlike chloramines in a swimming pool, these surfaces are quite capable of
repetitively taking up chlorine and establishing a stable chlorine bond. All that is required
is enough free chlorine to surround the binding site. Almost no free chlorine is released
when the beads are placed into the water flow. Typical levels range from 0.05 ppm to 0.20
ppm free available chlorine. This is not enough to kill anything without lengthy
incubation. Hence, the swift efficacy of HaloPure depends on intimate contact between the
microbes and the bound halogen on the polymer.

We have, then, a solid surface, effectively biocidal on contact to contaminants in

the water and repeatedly rechargeable when periodically exposed to free halogen. In this
way, a powerful antimicrobial component can be introduced into a water purifier that will
not run out of steam, and have to be discarded. Instead, it can have its power regularly
and conveniently “topped up” by the user.

III. PEEPOO BAGS :--

Across all large slum dwellings in India what one finds common is the persistent
stench that arises from guttural waste. Poor sanitation in slums has always been an issue
and the open drains invite a host of diseases like diarrhoea, cholera and become breeding
sites for mosquitoes. Also, a major headache for those who live in slums is shortage of
water. Despite all the promises made by successive governments, water shortage remains
an unsolved problem at large and the problem is aggravated by the fact that the migrant
rural population is going to need more of this already scarce resource.

The hand to mouth existence in slums leaves basic hygiene practises unattended.
According to a very recent report in ‘The Hindu’ “Half of India's homes have cell
phones, but not toilets”. The above figures call for a solution which is accessible, cost
effective, eco- friendly and can be implemented in the minimum possible time frame. Here
comes the role of PEEPOO bags.
 Environmentally Friendly and Useful for Agriculture Better yet, the PeePoo bag
does not cause additional environmental problems of its own and is actually practical for
large-scale Third World implementation. The bag itself is biodegradable and currently
constructed from 45% recycled materials. Once the hygienization process is complete, the
leftover ammonia can be put to use as fertilizer. It is important that the Peepoo bag
technology be employed.[8]

. Economical and eco friendly This type of furniture can be used in slums to
develop local schools, and to provide cheap home furniture, one of the major advantages
of this remains its flame retardant capabilities that prevents losses in case of common slum
fires, and its UV resistance, that ensures its long life.

IV. Polymer Pavements and roads :---

Slums especially in Delhi have a very poor connectivity to roads; these roads are
either in accident prone condition or aren’t very permanent in foundation. A poor road
leads to difficulty in bringing Healthcare and other facilities in times of need to these
areas, and often is the cause for poor sanitation, disease spread, etc. therefore proper long
lasting pavements and roads can be constructed by using polymers.
 Here is a comparative study to compare the conventional roads and the new
polymer roads, with SoilTech polymers, a brand of Polymer pavements as an example.
Polymer stabilization, in most instances, minimizes the need for borrow-pit materials.
The result of the study was that the use of such materials significantly enhanced functional
performance and load bearing capacity of these roads.

Advantages:

1. Waste management: The junk plastic used here helps us to manage effectively and
economically.
2. Environment Friendly: CO2 emissions during construction are 32 times less than the
conventional roads.
3. Economically cheaper than using Bitumen, used as a binding agent to hold together the
base and the sub-layers of the road.
4. Cuts down on labor costs, water costs, and construction time. 5. Long Life: doesn’t
crack under streSs.[9]

Way Forward

● Poverty is the most significant reason behind the creation of slums. So, the issue of poverty
must be addressed first by policymakers.
● There is also a need for future policies to support the livelihoods of the urban poor by
enabling urban informal-sector activities to flourish and develop. Slum policies should be
integrated within broader, people-focused urban poverty reduction policies that address the
various dimensions of poverty.
● Easy geographical access to jobs through pro-poor transport should also be created.
● Adequate data should be gathered by conducting various studies before the formulation of

any policy.[10]

● There is also a need for investment in citywide infrastructure as a pre-condition for

successful and affordable slum upgrading, which could also act as one strong mechanism for
reversing the socio-economic exclusion of slum dwellers.
REFERENCES :---
[1] UN habitat (2013)United Nations Human Settlement Programme,Global urban
Observatory, “Global Urban Indicators database version 2” , UN Publications, ISBN
92-1-131627- 8, Nairobi, Kenya
[2] Elgizawy S., Elhaggar, S. and Nassar. K , “Approaching Sustainability of Construction
and Demolition Waste using Zero Waste Concept '', submitted for publication to the Journal of
natural science , January 2016
[3] Hoornweg, D. , and Bhada-tata, P. (2012). "What a Waste, a Global Review of Solid
Waste Management." Urban Development Series KnowledgePapers, The World Bank, no.15.
retrieved from:
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTURBANDEVELOPMENT/Resources/336387-13348526
10766/What_a_Waste2012_Final.pdf.
[4] Tchobanoglous, G. and Kreith, F. (2002). “Handbook of Solid Waste Management, 2nd
edition”, McGraw-Hill Handbooks.
[5] Infrastructure sustainability council of Australia, Australian Construction Site waste
Management statistics,(NA), retrieved from
http://www.csustain.com.au/construction-site-recycling
[6] Torgal F. P. and Labrincha J.A. (2013) “The Future of Construction Materials
Research and The Seventh UN Millennium Development Goal: A few insights'', journal of
Construction and Building Materials, 40 729–737. Portugal, DOI:
10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.11.007
[7] Tyler Miller, G. (1994), “Living in The Environment: Principles, Connections and
Solutions” 8th edition. Belmont, California, Wadsworth Pub. Co., - Wadsworth biology series.
[8] Payne, G.K. (1984). “Low Income housing in the developing world: the role of sites and
services and settlement upgrading”. Wiley
[9] Acioly, C. (2002). “The rationale of Informal Settlements Regularization Projects: from
settlement upgrading to integration approaches.” Lecture Notes. Institute for Housing and
urban Development Studies-IHS
[10] Madbouly, M. (1998). “Urban Poverty and Informal Settlements upgrading: A missing
dimension in Egypt. Paper presented at the Association of Graduates and Trainees from
Britain in Egypt’s Seminar on Cities, Capacities and Development, 23 Nov, 1998 ...