Living Style and Health of Urban Poor in India
In India, urban poverty has been a devastating phenomenon in recent times. Urban poverty has reduced the quality of life of millions of people, and solutions to the problem are not straightforward. We can define urban poverty as the uncontrollable and unprecedented growth of cities which ultimately result in the formation of slums and squatters. The metropolises of India like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata are experiencing exponential demographic, economic, infrastructural, and socio-cultural growth every year. However, this growth has been one-dimensional and has failed to transform into holistic 'development' that would positively change people's lives in the metros, especially the immigrant daily wage workers. The issue of urban poverty in India makes the vulnerable communities more susceptible to disasters like urban floods, urban heat, fires, air pollution, poor sanitation, inaccessibility to potable water, and so forth. The Survey of India data illustrates that the country's urban population had increased from 25 million in 1901 to 377 million in 2011, and the numbers continue to grow at a rate of 31.2 percent per year. But, the problem is that the urban areas of India are not equipped to deal with the demands of the rising population, resulting in significant gaps in providing basic amenities of drinking, sanitation, sewage, and housing. Many of India's urban poor are employed in the informal sector without any job security, further deteriorating their situation. Moreover, the lack of formal housing is another grave and persistent challenge that India's urban poor face regularly. Issues such as the threat of eviction, removal, and confiscation of goods, and harassment are common. Currently, more than 17 percent of India's urban inhabitants are slum dwellers. It is estimated that by 2050, another 250 million people will become a part of India's urban population. Therefore, it is the hour's need to tackle the issue of urban poverty in India and take necessary steps before the phenomenon causes irreversible damage.
Top 4 Causes of Urban Poverty The various factors that cause urban poverty in India are – 1. Increasing Migration – Large-scale rural to urban migration is the primary cause of urban poverty in India. The cinching of employment opportunities in the country's rural areas compels thousands of young women and men to migrate to cities in search of an improved livelihood. But, unfortunately, the situation in the urban regions is not all rosy as underemployment,
underpayment, and exploitation are common in the metro cities of India. Therefore, the solution is to create a solid livelihood base in the rural areas so that the decision to migrate does not arise. Also, tightening the social security nets for the urban poor is another way to deal with the problem. 2. Prospect of a Better Life – In addition to employment opportunities, many people migrate to metropolises to improve their quality of life. Many a time, the country's rural citizens are forced to migrate to cities for better schools and health facilities. Likewise, vapid caste-based discrimination and exploitation by landowners can also be reasons for rural to urban migration. As such, the prospect of a better life in cities is a significant reason for the rise of urban poverty in India. 3. Saturation of India Metro Cities – Most of the crowd-pulling metro cities of India, such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, have been attracting migrants for a long time. Hence, their capacity to accommodate people diminishes, resulting in overcrowding and the formation of squatter slums. In the urban areas of India, each slum usually has one bathroom for 50 to 100 people. Therefore, it is crucial that the government makes concerted efforts to urbanize new regions and invest in the economic development of upcoming areas to control the phenomenon of the urban poor. 4. Lack of Educational Opportunities –Education and poverty are parts of a vicious cycle wherein the absence of the former increases the latter's growth and vice versa. A large chunk of India's rural population doesn't have good quality education. When they migrate to urban areas, they are primarily employed in jobs that provide less income and don't have perks and social security. Hence, a vital way to deal with urban poverty is to raise awareness about the necessity of education. Therefore, we can safely assert that poverty in urban areas in India is caused by various interrelated factors such as the under-development of the rural regions, excessive concentration of government on certain metro cities, and the lack of education in the country. As such, it is up to the government bodies to mindfully deal with this problem by offering housing facilities to migrant wage workers, making sure that they are aptly paid, and improving the conditions in villages of the country. In case you want to make a difference in the lives of India's urban poor, then you can join Apnalaya and consider a donation or be a part of any of their project.