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4 Chapter 4 - Empirical data and Discussion
4.1 Introduction
This section of the dissertation presents the analysis and discussion of the research data. It is essential to have a sense of clarity while presenting data and findings of the research. Below is a table mentioning the people with whom the interviews have been conducted to understand the data better The conclusion explains why it is vital to commence sustainable development in impoverished ghettos in light of the difficulty experienced by the people.
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4.2 Analysis and Discussion
The graphic below shows how information obtained from the interviews and observations has pinpointed certain sections of the city's infrastructure that are the root of the people's most pressing problems.
What was anticipated of a sustainable city and its infrastructure was a factor in the selection process. As this was a study project with limited resources, only a few sectors could be considered for their potential to shed light on Shivajinagar's predicament. The selection process also involved what was being said in the interviews overlapping with a detailed observation within the area.
Definitions
Building development authority (BDA): This is a government agency in charge of infrastructure development, land management, and delivery of services, and it also addresses the housing requirements for the low-income people of the city (www.bdabangalore.org, n.d.).
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP): The Greater Bengaluru Metropolitan Area is governed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is in charge of public services as well as certain infrastructure development (site.bbmp.gov.in, n.d.).
Abjection: a political and sociological phenomenon in which some groups of people get marginalized from receiving biopolitical services from the state or other institutions, yet continuing to play an essential role in forming social groups.
4.2.1 Housing of Shivajinagar
The housing market delivers an essential service to society by addressing the fundamental need for a safe and secure place to live. It might potentially be a substantial source of personal wealth (Grum and Kobal Grum, 2020). Shivajinagar is a neighborhood that is struggling to maintain its status as a residential neighborhood. It is primarily characterized by illegality in housing, in which individuals do not follow BDA laws, providing any setbacks, insufficient ventilation, and up to three times the permissible number of floors. The lack of designated parking spaces exacerbates congestion on the area's small roads.
'People here do not obey any of the BDA's (Building development authority) norms and regulations (Building Development Authority). They keep piling storeys on top of one other without providing parking. This is a major issue since individuals from neighboring streets park in front of my property. Everything is driven by bribery, and the authorities are unconcerned.'= Saleem Bhai
The neighborhood has become denser over time, and individuals are continuously converting their homes into stores due to the high demand for retail space, affecting the residential areas' ambiance and producing problems. As a result, the line between market and residential districts has blurred.
‘The ground floors are given to retail spaces, the upper floors are used as storage units, and the land owners have their houses on the topmost floors. This change has caused tremendous pressure on roads, parking spaces, public transport, and shops usually tend to occupy footpaths. = Tajammul (Resident & Shop owner).
The slums provide further contrast to the more affluent housing options nearby. These homes are dangerous and threaten the community's standard of life. Small, poorly ventilated, and challenging to enter, these homes average just 15 to 20 square meters in area. The following image sequence does a much better job of depicting the scenario.
‘We live in a tiny house, as you can see, where we don’t even have space to sleep. Seven people live in this house; there are no toilets. A common toilet is provided where we have to wait for hours in line. We don’t even have a place to take a bath.’ = Salma (slum dweller).
The area's situation has remained the same for the past 40 years, and no changes have been made. The benefits of living in the slums, such as inexpensive rents, subsidized services, and charity, mean that residents seldom do not worry about ownership or tenure security. (Nassar and Elsayed, 2018). They only want to improve their livability within the slums where their social challenges are improved, such as health, education, and facilities.
4.2.2 Urban Mobility
Being a multi-functional space, home to a vast market space and a residential area, road networks within Shivajinagar is a narrow street layout for which the area faces numerous challenges. Public transport systems are plagued by chronic corruption, overcrowding, inefficiency, undependable services, and an operating system that is chaotic and completely uncoordinated (Pucher, Korattyswaroopam, and Ittyerah, 2004) Constant bottleneck problems emerge due to the narrowness of the roads, leading to clogged commutes and other traffic disasters. Walkability within the area is no less than encountering an accident due to escalating vehicular population and footpaths not being used by pedestrians. The pathways of the place are either dilapidated or used for informal activities such as street vending, shops encroaching, and restaurants setting cooking stations on the footpaths. This is one of the biggest challenges in the area where the people are pushed on walking on the roads risking their lives.
‘The roads are in a horrible situation, and there is constant digging of roads and footpaths. When it rains, vehicles start floating, and people should use boats instead of vehicles. The shop owners acquire the footpaths for their businesses. They think if they display their products on the footpath, it will help them attract better customers, and the police take no action as they have a commission from them daily which at the end affects the people walking on the streets.’ = Yusuf Shariff (Shop owner).
‘Walking on the roads is no less than endangering yourself, especially for the senior citizens due to the lack of lane discipline and most importantly, no rules are followed by the two-wheelers as there are no driving regulations in place, especially the youth riding bikes have become a significant threat within the area.’ = Tajammul (Resident).
The public transport for the area is an alarming issue as there are no busses allowed within the area due to the congested roads Even though Shivajinagar is home to one of the city's most significant bus stops, the location is towards one end of the area, which is far and inefficient for most people. Here, buses have to compete with a wide variety of other vehicles, including those pulled by animals, automobiles, bicycles, scooters, auto-rickshaws, pedestrians, and street sellers, in a narrow space without special privileges (Pucher, Korattyswaroopam, and Ittyerah, 2004). The popularity of inexpensive motorized two-wheelers has surged at a rate about four times that of buses in recent decades (Pucher, Korattyswaroopam, and Ittyerah, 2004).
The needs of people with disabilities are not considered in the region's planning. Everyone mentioned that you would have to take care of yourself and be very cautious while moving around the area
‘Being a senior citizen of age 65, I cannot come in a car to the area I have to depend on twowheelers, there is no hint of buses as they cannot enter the area, and you have to be careful while riding or even walking because you never know when you will go inside a pothole or a ditch.’ = Ahmed (Resident).
The only hope in the area is the development of the metro, where everyone hopes that once the project is completed, it will ease some congestion within the site. Still, the work of the metro was started nearly ten years back in the area, and the progress is plodding.
4.2.3 Services of Shivajinagar
The growth of informal settlements in developing nations has outpaced progress in meeting the objectives established for delivering basic amenities to its residents, especially the slums (Narayanan et al., 2017). The availability of water in the area has some issues. Firstly, the water is not pure, and much contamination happens when it gets mixed with sewage water during rainy seasons. The water has to be treated before use, and everyone uses water purifiers in their houses. There is an irregularity in the availability of drinking water (Deccan Herald, 2022)
‘We receive the supply of drinking water once every two days, and there are no issues with electricity except during the summer and rainy seasons when there are many power cuts.’ =Ahmed (Resident).
The residents have good connections to the sewage lines, but due to old pipelines, it often results in stagnation. Another reason is that restaurants discard grease and oils in drains, which leads to hardening inside the channels and blockages. The more significant issue is the exposed rainwater drain that runs throughout Shivajinagar, which adds to the pollution and unhygienic situation of the area.
4.2.4 Health and well being
The health sector is one of the more robust suites of the area, where there are five major hospitals within the neighborhood. The people have good access to hospitals; however, the majority of the people do not have health insurance primarily due to a lack of trust in policies (hassle), and also, the Muslim population avoids keeping insurance due to Islamic laws, which have put people in a difficult situation during emergencies where they have to rely on spending their own money for their treatments. The low-income group is given a BPL card (below the poverty line), where they get subsidies on food (ration), gas, and discounted prices on medical treatments. Even though the government hospitals are well equipped, the quality and standards are not maintained. However, the process is very lengthy. People are often set with the mindset that private hospitals would give them better treatments and results. The NGOs and charitable trusts in the area are assisting the needy in paying their medical expenditures. They are also supported by clinics across the region that monitor minor ailments for a lower charge and provide free medication; these organizations havehelpedthepeoplemorethanthegovernment itself.Another problem was that thepeoplewere unaware of the government health schemes launched in response to low-income people.
‘Government hospitals are getting better, but still, the treatments are not good, the doctors are not responsive, and the procedures are very lengthy. unless you have some influence, the treatments don’t progress.’ = Usman (resident)
We use government hospitals as we get discounted prices on showing the BPL card, but the process is prolonged, and the patients are left unattended. We are not aware of any health schemes offered by the government. It would be helpful if you could explain more about such projects.’ = Shahid (slum dweller).
During covid, thesituationin Bengaluruandits medical system was tested,with thousands battling for beds and no one being able to seek care unless they knew someone prominent. A more significant concern is the lack of green spaces in the vicinity. There are no public parks within the area; people must go to neighboring areas to use the parks. The lack of adequate public transport and the rise of people using two-wheelers has reduced people’s walkability. The children have no public grounds available for them to play on, as the government acquired the grounds for metro work and stations.
‘The playgrounds have been taken up for metro stations The children have no place to play and have become a nuisance playing in the streets, causing trouble to their neighbors. Also, there are no parks in the entire area, and we have to travel to other neighborhoods to access them. ’ = Shahid (slum dweller).
Due to its quick informal expansion, Shivajinagar lacks the giant trees typical of the city, such as the enormous alley trees for which the city is famous It is evident that the area has fostered a range of environmental (pollution) and social (lack of green spaces, segregation) pressures that make people more inclined to have medical issues. It's crucial to realize that ghetto dwellers may benefit from urban parks in ways that are helpful for their well‐being. However, efforts are being made to accommodate rooftop playgrounds and parks in government buildings in the area due to the lack of space in the vicinity
4.2.5 Sanitation
The developing world is pervasive with social inequalities, such as unequal access to sanitation, disregard for the disabled, and the explicit challenges faced by slum dwellers, making sufficient and equitable sanitation a crucial intervention (Mara and Evans, 2018). The area has good newly built public toilets in the market area. The situations within the slums of the site are not the same. They have shared sanitation facilities that are poorly operated and maintained (Mara and Evans, 2018)
‘The BBMP demolished the old toilets promising us to build new ones. It has been nearly five years, and they did not build any new toilets, and the situation has worsened.’ = Wajid (slum dweller).
It has already beenestablished and also recognized by WHOthat a successful modelofcommunity design where shared sanitation has proved to be a sound sanitation system for those living in highdensity slums (Mara and Evans, 2018). The slum dwellers of Shivajinagar are given false promises for the better situation of sanitation but have always been ignored, and this pattern of ignorance has to be broken.
4.2.6 Pollution
The characteristics of a mixed-use area are different, where the noise levels are higher up to 6 pm It is a combination of increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic associated with the concentration of many wholesale and commercial establishments. The people of the area have gotten used to such high noise levels and donot show any concern about it.The airquality ofthe areais a concern mainly due to the constant work on roads and the metro constructions, where no precautions are taken to reduce the spread of dust during the work. People have shown concerns about the rise in infections and allergies due to the dust and pollution of auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers. More importantly, the restaurants are not following norms and setting cooking stations on the streets, causing the smoke to enter the streets, not the chimneys.
‘People eat food which is sold on the streets mixed with dust, emissions, and no hygiene is followed during the preparations of the food.’= Dr. Jabeen (medical center).
‘The air feels different when you enter Shivajinagar. It is so dusty due to the road works and emissions from the traffic.’ =Himayat (resident).
Many parts of the area are littered with garbage creating garbage black spots, which eventually become the breeding spaces for diseases (Deccan Herald, 2022). The people started complaining about the rare collection, but the MLA explained the situation upon being asked.
‘We send the BBPM to collect garbage early in the morning, but the people do not wake up then and end up dumping the trash on the roads However, we have changed the timings to pick up the garbage later in the day so that everyone can dump it on time, but still, many people have the habit of throwing it on the roads.’ = Sujauddin (corporator).
The authorities and the people mentioned that the people themselves are responsible for creating these garbage spots, and efforts are made to clear them every day. The area does not have dustbins; as simple as it sounds lack of dustbins enables people to throw things on the roads and footpaths, and no one is questioned.
4.2.7 Safety and resilience
The post-pandemic economic crisis in urban areas as people who lost their jobs are yet to find replacements, and little has been accomplished after the lockdowns for the revival of livelihoods in the informal sector in the urban areas. There has been a surge in crimes within the area, most of which are petty thefts. The area’s atmosphere shifts rapidly during the night, where it has become a hub for late-night food streets and also for youths involved in illegal activities such as drugs.
‘There are certain areas such as chowk where you need to be careful because people in those areas search for trouble. It’s better to look down and walk because if you stare, you are in for some trouble.’ = Yusuf (shop owner).
‘The police of the area are responsive, but they come after everything has been sorted. The thefts have increased rapidly. You have to be careful while carrying your valuables in these areas.’ = Salman (shop worker).
For understandable reasons, adults of all ages are reluctant to go out at night, and parents have restricted their children from playing on the streets after dark.
Resilience is key to sustainable urban infrastructure. The area is known for its historical buildings such as Russel market butcher house, Jamia masjid, and St Mary’s Basilica. The site is a prime example of aging infrastructure causing threats to people. One of the oldest markets, known as the Russel market, is in dilapidated conditions where the market is still used for groceries. The structure has been preserved over time but not its condition.
‘The government wants to reconstruct the market, but it isn't considering what the people want. Instead, it is pushing its plans, which aren't in the best interests of the store owners.’ = Tajammul (shop owner & resident).
'Even if we have historic sites in the neighborhood, there is no use in retaining them if they are not maintained; instead, they should redevelop and offer areas that serve society.' = Yusuf (shop owner).
The people have well maintained the religious places while the govt fails to do the same job for the historical market areas. The situation in the area changes drastically during the rainy season. The area is already on a lower topography than its surroundings. The roads are impassable due to a poor drainage system that overflows every time it rains, water enters houses causing extensive damage to their belongings, and sewage water mix with drinking water, contaminating it. The slums experience worse situations due to narrow spaces. People have to wait for hours after the rain has stopped for the water to drain out. Electricity wires which are left exposed come in contact with the rain posing a threat to the people walking. The poor quality of road works and footpaths is seen during the rains as it washes out the pavers and tar of the road, leaving potholes and broken paths. Those living at a higher elevation are safe, but the situation is dire for those living in lowerlying areas.
‘We are on a higher level, so the rain does not affect us, but water starts entering the houses as you go down.’= Usman (Resident)
When it starts raining in this slum you cannot enter the area and the water enters our homes due to which all of us sit on the beds and hang our clothes on the ceiling and have to wait for the rain to stop and the water to drain away but we have to clean and replace the damages being done.’= Wajid Pasha (slum dweller)
The response to solving the issues is quick but the frequency of the problem is very high for the authorities to cope with.
4.2.8 A neighboring citadel
The area known as Benson town, present right next to Shivajinagar, has different dynamics altogether. The place is marked with wider roads, better footpaths, clean streets, good access to hospitals, and a park within the area. The area is situated on a higher level, so there are no issues during the rainy season. However, problems such as dug-up roads, poor access to bus stops, privatization of footpaths, inadequate lighting at night, and thefts have recently been witnessed in the area. There is good water access, but it needs to be treated before drinking.
‘We need much wider roads in the area, security cams need to be installed, a better quality of roads is required and constant digging of roads must be stopped.’ = Fairoz (resident)
‘Our area has a welfare community where all the problems raised by the residents are put across to the authorities and made sure action is taken on that, while the low-income people in Shivajinagar sell their vote to the government for a small amount and stand no place to question the authorities.’= Inayat (NGO).
Despite the fact that the region contains a lot of informality in terms of housing, such as unlawful floors, it is not perceived that way and is considered a formal setting, which raises the issue of why the discrepancy persists.
It is evidentthat thereis a starkdifferencein infrastructurebetweenthe higher-incomeneighboring areas of Shivajinagar and the low-income ghetto of Shivajinagar, and the interviews highlight the differences in expectations between the people of the area, thereby emphasizing the situation of low-income ghettos such as Shivajinagar.
4.3 Theoretical Development
Our goal in this paper was to investigate the relationship between accessibility and inclusiveness of the city’s infrastructure. It is analyzed that there is inequality in accessing the infrastructure in the area of Shivajinagar. The most important of all is the disparity that has evolved in having an active lifestyle and access to public transportation, where the options are scarcely dispersed and have progressed poorly due to government ignorance, bribery, and a lack of community involvementin makingdecisions forthe area,whichhas shapedthesociety's decisions to bereliant on automobiles and poor livability.
The government has purposely ignored the area for over 40 years, and the people have been ignorant about such matters. Choosing the wrong leaders over time has also been a significant factor in the poor development of the area. The minority areas have to press their issues and force the problem to the government to get results.’
= Rizwan Arshad (MLA)
A standard set of patterns has been identified within the area that portrays similar situations in lowincome ghettos throughout India. In India, urban infrastructure is updating as years progress, and provisions are not made for these changes. Much damage is caused to the infrastructure to bring the necessary change, affecting the people using it. A typical situation of lack of coordination amongst different participators in the development of infrastructure has caused concerns such as delay and rebuilding. Violations in planning are not only the situation of Shivajinagar, but the entire of Bangalore, which has in a way helped the city in many ways (Sundaresan, 2019a), but its side effects have put pressure on the infrastructure, such as flooding, shortage of water, overloading of drains, etc. due to high density in these ghettos. It is seen that many informal situations such as violations, encroachment, and lack of regulations (transport, pollution & safety ) have been going on for an extended period where the people’s voices are unheard. This is blamed on the ruling authorities, such as the corporators and MLA, who then further blame their superiors, which runs in circles. The bigger problem that everything points to is the corruption (bribery in the case of India) engraved in the system, and it’s only getting more profound. Nobody can take responsibility as this informality does not point fingers.
The community's interesting feature is the interconnected nature of its problems. Marginalized communities highlight the interconnectedness of issues related to intersectionality and aid in identifying oppressive government practices (Nash, 2008). The interviews have shed light on the adverse effects of deteriorating infrastructure on the local population. Still, they have also shown that exclusion is often indirect, happening through poor accessibility and gentrification, driven either directly or indirectly by ethical interpretations of who is regarded as a resource to the city. It is also made evident through the comparative study that the low-income groups are structurally underserved by urban infrastructure as compared to the least disadvantaged groups.
Compared to other neighborhoods, I feel that my area (Shivajinagar) has been left behind in its progress, and it gives me a feeling of exclusion from the city to be living in the area. At the same time, the rising hatred for the Muslim community from the government makes me want to live in an area surrounded by our people. = Saleem (Resident).
The people in the minority and low-income neighborhoods may choose to remain in those areas due to the strong bond they have forged within the community (Soja, 2013), where the people themselves have come out strongly to fulfill the needs of the poor. Despite having to deal with difficult circumstances regarding their basic needs, people still feel much safer within their communities because of the rising worries of communal hatred. Even though the people have been challenged with a tough situation, they have managed to preserve the place’s culture. The area is known for its food items and the market area, which is a significant economic strength for the people. To put it in context, sustainable efforts boost the quality of life and kick off a gradual, long-term improvement process (Nassar and Elsayed, 2018b). Nonetheless, the case studies present compelling arguments for seeking progress while fighting to keep their culture alive (Connell and Waddell, 2007, p.246)