04/13/2024

SLUMS
INTRODUCTION
• A Slum is predominantly an overcrowded area which is in
an advanced stage of decay where dwelling are unfit for
human habitation.
• The central Government in its slum area improvement act has
adopted the definition of slum as “Any predominantly
residential area where the dwelling which by reason of
dilapidation overcrowding, faulty arrangement of design,
lack of ventilation, light or Sanitary facility or any
combination of these factors are detrimental to safety,
health and morals”.
INTRODUCTION

• The areas characterized by substandard housing conditions

within a city are known as the slums.
The prime characteristic of a slum is substandard housing
• The substandard housing conditions should be taken in a
relative social sense referring to actual living conditions
with reference to a given time in a specific country.
• In general, a slum is an overcrowded poverty- stricken area
having lack of open spaces and presence of unhealthy
residential structures.

3
CAUSES OF SLUM
CHARACTERISTICS OF SLUMS
 CHARACTERISTICS OF SLUMS
• Appearance:
• This is the universal mark of slum and its unpleasant
appearance offends the eyes. The structures appear
to be deteriorated and to be over-age.
• Fire hazards:
• The slum area is often exposed to fire accidents and
resultant damages.
• Health and sanitation:
• The slum is characterized by low standard of
sanitation. It also refers an area of high sickness and
death rates.
• Income criteria:
• the slum is a poverty area and it occupied by
people of the lowest income group of the society.

10
 CHARACTERISTICS OF SLUMS
Morals/ Ethics:
• the socially disorganized slum may prove be an area of
delinquency, crime and vice.
Overcrowding:
• the slum is overcrowded with buildings or the buildings are
overcrowded with people, both the conditions Predominate in
the slum.
Social isolation :-
• The slum area is of the lowest social status ,and it is usually
linked up with the rest of the community through its labour
force.

7
EFFECTS OF SLUMS
The effects of slums on the town life are manifold. They can
be briefly mentioned as follows:
1. Absence of amenities:
the surrounding area of slums is lacking in essential
amenities such as water supply, drainage,
sanitation, electricity etc. in required
proportions because of overcrowding.
2. Health:
The environments not healthy and people residing in slums
are easily vulnerable to by various diseases.
3. Surrounding locality:
The working of institutions like library, school, hospital,
etc., located nearby slums is seriously affected.

8
EFFECTS OF SLUMS
4. Undesirable spot/ Place:
The slums as such on a city plan forms undesirable spots and
in a sense, disturbs the appearance of good features of a city
plan.
5. Working conditions:
it is not possible to work peacefully in slums because the
whole area is full of noise, traffic congestion, smoke, dust and
darkness.

9
SLUMS CLEARANCE
The process of improving the existing conditions of slums is
known as the slum clearance and the main four objects of
taking up slum clearance programmes can be enumerated as
follows:
i. To bring down the disparity in the living standards of
the people of various classes.
ii. To prevent the occurrence of epidemics in the town or
city.
iii. To provide the absolute basic minimum standards of
essential amenities for a healthy living.
iv. To remove the ugly spots or slums from the map of town
or city.

10
DIFFICULTIES IN SLUM CLEARANCE
• Lack of resources.
• High cost of alternative sites near place of work.
• Unwillingness of the slum dwellers to move from slum area.
• Low rent paying capacity of the slum dwellers.
SLUMS CLEARANCE
1. Complete removal method:
in this method, the ill-constructed houses are demolished
and only those which are really good are retained. The
open spaces are left are used for widening of roads,
providing recreation grounds or building new houses of
approved standards.
the slums clearance by this method, proves to be too
costly and further , the people who are dishoused are to
be provided with alternative housing facilities.
The following two important factors should be considerd:
a. The degree of public health hazards involved.
b. The economic potential of the land i.e., the full use to
which the land can be economically exploited after
removal of the slum.

12
SLUMS CLEARANCE
2. Improvement method:
it is observed that certain areas where slums are due to poor
drainage arrangement and insanitary environments need not
necessarily be demolished, but improve the existing slums area.
the improvement project are as follows:
i. Amenities:
in addition to widening of roads, the public utility services such as
water, drainage and electricity should also be made adequate for
the affected area.
ii. Legal aspects:
the legal formalities required to implement the slum
clearance project should be strictly followed to correct the
mistakes are made.
It include publication and circulation of the slum
clearance project.

13
SLUMS CLEARANCE
Transit camps:
when a slum clearance scheme is taken in hand, the persons
occupying the slums will have to be dishoused. The
transit camps in the form of semi- permanent or temporary
buildings are constructed in some other parts of the town to
accommodate such persons temporarily till their new houses are
built.

14
 04/13/2024

SLUMS CLEARANCE
• This method is adopted where slums are due to poor
drainage system and unhealthy conditions.
• Hence the drainage arrangement is modified and improved.
• Public utility services like water , drainage , gas , electricity
may be provided in slum area.
• Few houses need some improvement to make them more
habitable.
WORKS OF IMPROVEMENT
Following improvement works are include in the improvement project
of slum area:
i. Construction of open or covered drains
ii. Necessary repairs
iii. Opening up or paving of courtyards
iv. Provision of additional or improved fittings
v. Provision of bathing place, water taps and light points
vi. Realignment of streets
vii. Removal of rubbish and debris
viii. Miscellaneous including the demolition of any building or any
part of building for executing any of the works mentioned above

16
PREVENTION OF SLUM FORMATION
Some of the important measures which can be taken to effectively
prevent the slum formation are as follows:
i. Cheap housing:
sufficient number of subsidized cheap houses should be made
available to the poor people.
ii. Compulsion to employers:
the employers of a good number of labourers may be forced
to
iii. provide housing accommodation for their staff.
Construction of buildings:
certain rule and regulation may be framed and strictly enforced to
restrict the coming of buildings of subnormal standards.
iv. Rent restrictions:
if provision is made to restrict the increase of rent, the tenants
will be protected.
V. Unauthorized construction:
the law should be adopted to remove unauthorized construction 17
of buildings, it may help in prevention of slum formation.