| Peer-Reviewed

Living Standards and Health Problems of Lesser Fortunate Slum Dwellers: Evidence from an Indian City

Received: 22 February 2014     Published: 20 March 2014
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

For a fast growing economy like India where most of its cities experiencing consistently increase in urban population, the future welfare of city residents is heavily relied on providing better living conditions and health prospects to the urban dwellers particularly to those who are living in miserable and unhygienic environment. The paper derived slum condition index (Slum CI) of notified and non-notified slums for assessing relative status of living conditions and health status of slum dwellers in a fast growing city. Slum CI as a composite index of its four components of household environmental index (HECI), social condition index (SCI), economic condition index (ECI) and health condition index (HCI) worked as an effective tool for identifying not only the slums requiring attention but also priorities required for the development of healthy and smart city. Slum CI based analysis revealed wide inequalities in its four components. Non-notified slums were found to have poor slum conditions. Social, economic and health conditions demand higher priority over household environmental conditions in Nangla Battu. In Shobhapur and Phelera household environmental conditions should be accorded higher priority over social, economic and health conditions. The study has also identified priorities for the notified slums which have better slum conditions. For instance, in Jamna Nagar, social, economic and health conditions and in Uttam Nagar household environmental conditions should be given higher priority for sustainable urban environmental management. Social conditions, health conditions and household environmental conditions are the outcome factors of poor economic conditions in the sampled slums. Priority based policy responses were suggested. Thus, slum condition index based approach can be utilized for assessing welfare programmes and relative status in slums, and providing holistic framework for healthy city.

Published in International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy (Volume 2, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13
Page(s) 54-63
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2014. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Living Conditions, Health, Slum Dwellers, Slum Condition Index, Socio-Economic Conditions, Household Environmental Conditions, Meerut City

References
[1] Asha Seattle Team.2006. Urban Slums in India: the myths and the reality. Asha Seattle Quarterly Newslett. 12 (2):1-2.
[2] Bolay JC. 2006. Slums and Urban Development: Questions on Society and Globalization. The European Journal of Development Research.18 (2):284–298.
[3] Census of India 2001. Primary Census Abstract. Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
[4] Census of India 2011. Primary Census Abstract. Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
[5] Chandrasekhar S. 2006. Growth of slums Availability of Infrastructure and Demographic outcomes in Slums: Evidence from India. Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai. Paper presented at the 2005 Annual Meetings of the Population Association of America, Philadelphia.
[6] District Census Hand Book of Meerut. 1961. Directorate of Census Operation, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
[7] District Census Hand Book of Meerut. 2011. Directorate of Census Operation, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
[8] Dyson T. 2011. The role of the demographic transition in the process of urbanization. Population and Development Review. 37(1): 34–54.
[9] Edelman B, Mitra A. 2006. Slum Dwellers’ Access to Basic Amenities: The Role of Political Contact, its Determinants and Adverse Effects. Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies. 18(1):25-40.
[10] Goli S, Arokiasamy P, Chattopadhayay A. 2011. Living and health conditions of selected cities in India: Setting priorities for the National Urban Health Mission. Cities. 28:461–469.
[11] Harpham T, Burton S, Blue I. 2001. Healthy city projects in developing countries: the first evaluation. Health Promotion International. 16(2): 111-125.
[12] Hatai LD, Sen C. 2008. An Economic Analysis of Agricultural Sustainability in Orissa. Agricultural Economics research Review. 21: 273-282.
[13] Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission 2006. Consultancy Services for preparation of the City Development Plan for Meerut in the state of Uttar Pradesh under JNNURM. Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, New Delhi.
[14] Karn SK, Shikura S, Harada H. 2003. Living Environment and Health of Urban Poor: A Study in Mumbai. Economic and political Weekly. 23:3575-3586.
[15] Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.2011. Report of the Committee on Slum Statistics/Census. Government of India, New Delhi.
[16] National Sample Survey Organization. 2003. Condition of Urban Slums-2002: Salient Features. NSS 58th Round. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Government of India. Report. 486:58/0.21/1.
[17] National Urban Health Mission. 2012. Framework for Implementation. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Government of India, New Delhi.
[18] Parkins NC. 2010. Push and Pull Factors of Migration. American Review of Political Economy 8:2:6-24.
[19] Parkinson J. 2007. Improving environmental health outcomes of slum upgrading projects. Report commissioned for the World Bank. Washington, DC: World Bank.
[20] Rasool F, Botha CJ, Bisschoff CA. 2012. Push and Pull Factors in Relation to skills shortages in South Africa .Soc Sci. 30 (1):11-20.
[21] Redman C, Nancy SJ. 2005. The environmental, social and health dimensions of urban expansion. Population and Environment. 26(6):505–520.
[22] Sajjad H, Singh AL, Kumar H. 2005. The Environmental Impact of Cities: A Case Study. The Geographer. 52(2): 14-27.
[23] Sajjad H, Nasreen I, Ansari, SA. 2014. Assessing Spatio-temporal Variation in Agricultural Sustainability Using Sustainable Livelihood Security Index: Empirical Illustration from Vaishali District of Bihar, India. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 38:46-68.
[24] Sajjad H, Singh AL, Kumar H. 2008. Socio-economic and Health Conditions of Slum Dwellers in Meerut city, Uttar Pradesh. National Geographical Journal of India. 54 (3-4):103-116.
[25] Saleth RM, Swaminathan MS. 1993. Sustainable Livelihood Security at the Household Level: Concept and Evaluation Methodology. In: Proceedings of an Interdisciplinary Dialogue on Ecotechnology and Rural Employment. Madras, India.
[26] Sharma K. 2006. Cityscapes: The future is urban. The Hindu Survey of Environment.7-11.
[27] Singh PK, Hiremath, BN. 2010. Sustainable Livelihood Security Index in a Developing Country: A Tool for Development Planning. Ecological Indicators. 10: 442-451.
[28] Sud H. 2006. Poverty and Slums in India: Impact of Changing Economic Landscape. South Asian Analysis Group. Paper No. 1769. http://www.saag.org.
[29] Swaminathan MS. 1991. From Stockholm to Rio De Janeiro: the Road to Sustainable Agriculture. In: Monograph 4: MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Madras, India.
[30] United Nations Development Programme. 1990. Human development report. New York: Oxford University Press.
[31] United Nations Development Programme. 1992. Human development report. New York: Oxford University Press.
[32] World Health Organization.1995. Building a healthy city: A practitioner’s guide. WHO, Geneva.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Haroon Sajjad. (2014). Living Standards and Health Problems of Lesser Fortunate Slum Dwellers: Evidence from an Indian City. International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy, 2(2), 54-63. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Haroon Sajjad. Living Standards and Health Problems of Lesser Fortunate Slum Dwellers: Evidence from an Indian City. Int. J. Environ. Prot. Policy 2014, 2(2), 54-63. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Haroon Sajjad. Living Standards and Health Problems of Lesser Fortunate Slum Dwellers: Evidence from an Indian City. Int J Environ Prot Policy. 2014;2(2):54-63. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13,
      author = {Haroon Sajjad},
      title = {Living Standards and Health Problems of Lesser Fortunate Slum Dwellers: Evidence from an Indian City},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy},
      volume = {2},
      number = {2},
      pages = {54-63},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijepp.20140202.13},
      abstract = {For a fast growing economy like India where most of its cities experiencing consistently increase in urban population, the future welfare of city residents is heavily relied on providing better living conditions and health prospects to the urban dwellers particularly to those who are living in miserable and unhygienic environment. The paper derived slum condition index (Slum CI) of notified and non-notified slums for assessing relative status of living conditions and health status of slum dwellers in a fast growing city. Slum CI as a composite index of its four components of household environmental index (HECI), social condition index (SCI), economic condition index (ECI) and health condition index (HCI) worked as an effective tool for identifying not only the slums requiring attention but also priorities required for the development of healthy and smart city. Slum CI based analysis revealed wide inequalities in its four components. Non-notified slums were found to have poor slum conditions. Social, economic and health conditions demand higher priority over household environmental conditions in Nangla Battu. In Shobhapur and Phelera household environmental conditions should be accorded higher priority over social, economic and health conditions. The study has also identified priorities for the notified slums which have better slum conditions. For instance, in Jamna Nagar, social, economic and health conditions and in Uttam Nagar household environmental conditions should be given higher priority for sustainable urban environmental management. Social conditions, health conditions and household environmental conditions are the outcome factors of poor economic conditions in the sampled slums. Priority based policy responses were suggested. Thus, slum condition index based approach can be utilized for assessing welfare programmes and relative status in slums, and providing holistic framework for healthy city.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Living Standards and Health Problems of Lesser Fortunate Slum Dwellers: Evidence from an Indian City
    AU  - Haroon Sajjad
    Y1  - 2014/03/20
    PY  - 2014
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13
    T2  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
    SP  - 54
    EP  - 63
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7536
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20140202.13
    AB  - For a fast growing economy like India where most of its cities experiencing consistently increase in urban population, the future welfare of city residents is heavily relied on providing better living conditions and health prospects to the urban dwellers particularly to those who are living in miserable and unhygienic environment. The paper derived slum condition index (Slum CI) of notified and non-notified slums for assessing relative status of living conditions and health status of slum dwellers in a fast growing city. Slum CI as a composite index of its four components of household environmental index (HECI), social condition index (SCI), economic condition index (ECI) and health condition index (HCI) worked as an effective tool for identifying not only the slums requiring attention but also priorities required for the development of healthy and smart city. Slum CI based analysis revealed wide inequalities in its four components. Non-notified slums were found to have poor slum conditions. Social, economic and health conditions demand higher priority over household environmental conditions in Nangla Battu. In Shobhapur and Phelera household environmental conditions should be accorded higher priority over social, economic and health conditions. The study has also identified priorities for the notified slums which have better slum conditions. For instance, in Jamna Nagar, social, economic and health conditions and in Uttam Nagar household environmental conditions should be given higher priority for sustainable urban environmental management. Social conditions, health conditions and household environmental conditions are the outcome factors of poor economic conditions in the sampled slums. Priority based policy responses were suggested. Thus, slum condition index based approach can be utilized for assessing welfare programmes and relative status in slums, and providing holistic framework for healthy city.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Geography, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi110025, India

  • Sections