Situational analysis

Households or individuals are considered poor when the resources they command are insufficient to enable them to consume sufficient goods and services to achieve a reasonable minimum level of welfare (Rakodi, 2014). To understand the complexities and the assets of the community we chose to follow the Livelihoods framework. The objective is to get a holistic view of the constraints and opportunities through five different capitals. The idea of assets is central to the sustainable livelihoods approach. Rather than understanding poverty as simply a lack of income, the sustainable livelihoods approach considers the assets that poor people need in order to sustain an adequate income to live. (Soas.ac.uk, 2018) Through this method of approach the development tends to be people centric (ibid.).

It’s essential to understand that while we discuss the assets of the residents, it’s undeniable to address their disadvantageous living conditions that they cope Livelihoods Framework builds upon people’s own definitions of constraints and opportunities and, where feasible, it then supports people to address/realise them (Livelihoodscentre.org, 2018). Our observations have, therefore, been through

24 conversations and participatory methods. This qualitative analysis helps put a clearer and a more realistic picture of the livelihoods of the residents, which would further contribute to our future intervention to facilitate the community’s resilience.

PHYSICAL CAPITAL

Housing. When one enters Vishwakarma Nagar from the main access road the first sight is of a sweeping array of tin roofs with dish antennas fixed upon each of the dwellings. Though the nature of houses vary every third dwelling, temporary roofs have been mostly common. The ‘kutcha’ (temporary) houses are made of tin or plastic sheets whereas the ‘pucca’ (permanent) houses are made of brick and mud mortar.

These temporary and semi-temporary infrastructure speaks volumes of the mindset of the dwellers that live with an uncertain future. Due to lack of interest in infrastructure investment, the condition of the houses are shabby. During the summers, the houses heat up causing heat trap and suffocation. In the monsoon period, a lot of seepage occurs through the temporary roofs. To avoid this situation the residents have layers of plastic sheets piled over the roof that act as a waterproof layer.

It’s only in a few affluent pockets where people have room to invest in form of infrastructure development. These bastis would have a concrete slab for a roof and walls made of bricks and mud mortar. To avoid direct sunlight they extend a layer of the tin sheet that acts as a projection. One of the streets has a pergola.

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Sanitation. A general observation and trend suggests that slums generally appear along rivers, drains or railway tracks. In Vishwakarma nagar, a natural ‘nala’ (drain) runs through and through making it both an opportunity and a threat for sanitation.

Public toilets. Toilets are a major concern in this area. The local municipal body has constructed a public toilet block on the western front, facing the main access road and transportable toilet cabins on the rear end. The toilet block was constructed in 2015 under the Swach Bharat Mission that focuses on ensuring 100% toilets in each urban household by the year 2020 (http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in, accessed on Nov, 2018). For a majority of the residents in Vishwakarma Nagar the only accessible toilets are the two provided by the government. The other handful few, have constructed their own private toilets by digging pits that haven’t been emptied since the time of construction. Lack of awareness makes them ignorant of the health hazards that might follow due to no maintenance.

Open drainage. One major tangible issue evident in the area is the amount of open drains that run through the length and breadth of the settlement causing pollution and unhygienic surroundings. These drains are in close proximity to the houses making the current state of sanitation questionable. To add to this woe, poor condition of waste management increases health risks and puts the public hygiene of Vishwakarma nagar under low charts. To deal with the menace of open drains, the residents have covered them with stone slabs at some crucial points, for instance, near the entrance of their homes. Every two months there is a collaborate effort made by the neighborhood to call the municipal team and get these drains cleaned and unclogged. The entire process takes almost half a day, for which they collectively pay in terms of both, money and time.

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Water supply. Vishwakarma Nagar has no fresh stream of flowing water around it. So, the residents get water from a variety of different sources, each of which caters to different needs.

Wells. When the community first settled in the area they found groundwater at 10-15 feet. This resulted in a lot of digging of well some of which are used by the community and some privately. The community wells are divided within the neighborhood to ensure lesser waiting time and access to all. Due to the well being open to pollution and other disinfectants this water is used for cleaning purposes only. In the Bengali area, we found some houses, which have their wells in their kitchen. To avoid any mishap or water pollution they have covered the well with wooden logs and finished it with a layer of concrete leaving a hole big enough to let a water hose pass by. This water hose is connected to an electrical motor that pumps out water with a click of a button. This convenience, though a privilege for a handful, helps the residents have easy access to safe water. During an interview in one of these houses, that explained to us the mechanics of the motorised well, it was also brought to our notice that certain amount of chlorine and other tablets are dropped in the well to ensure the pH balance of the water making it fit for consumption.

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Tanks. The municipal cooperation has installed huge tanks over pedestals on the rear side of the area. Twice a day a water tanker fills these tanks for the people to have access to water round the clock.

Hand pumps. Another water supply option is the pumps that tap the ground water. Some of these hand pumps are for communal use while the smaller ones planted in front of the houses are for personal uses.

Access to energy and appliances. “We’re not poor, everyone has an iPhones. ” Due to no formal electrical grid system, a common sight throughout Vishwakarma Nagar is of open electrical. It’s easily identifiable at what nodes electricity is being tapped illegally from the formal electrical circuit. During our need assessment session, one of the participants expressed their concern of these open electrical circuits that have caused deaths due to short-circuiting during the monsoon season. Even though this access to free electricity is illegal, this informality is almost a way of life.

“We’ve professionals to come home to install our Dish antenna but we don’t get an electrician to make these circuits safe. This mentality has to change”

With every second household, having a cable connection it wasn’t a surprise to see heavy appliances like refrigerator, washing machine and LED screens. A few of the houses where we were invited had invested a lot more in the newest gadget and latest technology. This indoor scenario was in stark contrast to the outdoors condition where there were no streetlights in some of the dingy areas.

During our quest to find the state of gas connections, we found out that a lot of houses purchase gas cylinders from the black market at half the cost. When we spoke to residents about the same during the need assessment we realized that there was a general awareness of hazards of using a mud hearth with coal to cook food as the smoke may cause long-term breathing problems or worst, suffocation.

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However, in a few houses, the latter was still prevalent due to economic constraints.

Religious and public spaces. Vishwakarma Nagar also known as the Bengali colony is socially divided into two parts. The Bengali mahallah (neighborhood) was formed after the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 when Bengalis started migrating towards Central India. The other part known as the Bihari mahallah has people from Bihar, Orissa and various cities in Madhya Pradesh. Due to these two mahallahs there is a strong sense of regional and religion-based community mobilization which is spearheaded from their points of worship. There are two major temples that cater to each of the mahallahs and serve as a social and religious focal point. The Bengali mahallah is said to be older than the settlement and attracts thousands of devotees from around the country each year for a threeday festival in April. This temple, also known as the only Bengali temple of Bhopal, serves as political support bait for both the residents and the local leaders. Every evening the families gather around these temples not only for religious offerings, but also discuss politics and TV shows, too.

30 Mobility. The main access to Vishwakarma is via Sri Aurobindo Marg (refer to map), which is a 30-meter wide main road, owing to this area’s commercial value. If one accesses the area from this main road, inside the slum, the

main alley runs through and through serving as the spine. This is also the approach for two wheelers to cross from one side to the other. However, the alley isn’t wide enough for 4 wheelers, hence, making the entire Vishwakarma Nagar pedestrian friendly. We gathered that the roads were tiled and concreted as a promise before elections by various politicians. In the depth of the settlement the roads get narrower, with some small enough for only one-way pedestrian traffic.

The residents are well connected to the public transport route and catch their buses and auto rickshaws from the main road. The Habibganj Railways Station right in front of the settlement ensures ease in commute of any form. Children, too, board their school buses from either the main road or from the rear side.

NATURAL CAPITAL

This capital covers the land, soil and all the other environmental services rendered to the area. The fact that Vishwakarma Nagar is set amidst urban settings, adds another dimension to its resource network. Urban agriculture is one of the most prominent resource stocks. A lot of the households have chickens, cows, and goats for their day-to-day dairy needs. The livestock is either tied outside the house or in the communal space. A few houses have taken out chunks of their courtyard to grow basil, coriander and other day-to-day consumption leaves.

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HUMAN CAPITAL

This capital looks at how the community can benefit from its human resources. Our observation, conversations and subsequent surveys suggested that this area has high percentage of young population, which gives it more dynamics and potential.

Access to basic education. Within the boundaries of Vishwakarma Nagar there are two ‘anganwadis’ (kindergartens) for children at the age of 3 to 8. These anganwadis are run as a joint collaboration between UNICEF, Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh Health Department. Parallel to functioning as a kindergarten, the anganwadi also doubles up as a health center for both pregnant women and children. The two ladies that work to run the organisations are the residents of the Vishwakarma Nagar. Every fortnight they go around the area to vaccinate the newborns and to ensure the health of the pregnant women. Besides, children between the age of 10 to 18 years have access to affordable education with a lot of schools around the area. A government-run senior school right next to the settlement is one of the most viable options for the children of the area.

However, for teenagers the options after school are either limited or far away from the city. The ones who are eager to complete their higher education face the challenge of exorbitant educational fees and puny chances for government funding. Furthermore, despite of the large unemployed population, necessary skill training programmes from either the government or NGOs are currently absent in Vishwakarma Nagar.

Access to healthcare. Good health is not simply a means to earning a livelihood; it is of course an end in itself (Soas.ac.uk, 2018). A clinic run by one of the local residents is present in the commercial lane of Vishwakarma Nagar. However, its functionality and credibility is questionable as, according to local residents, it seldom opens. Still, residents have access to both public and private hospitals within the radius of 6 kilometers, although one of the residents, aged 62, expressed the long waiting hours at the public hospitals and the inability to afford a private treatment.

As previously mentioned, the anganwadis work at grass root levels to ensure medical help to children and pregnant ladies. A regular vitamin test is done on children and specific care is given to malnourished children and women right after their delivery.

FINANCIAL CAPITAL

In this part of the Livelihoods Framework we investigate the various ways in which the residents earn an income to support their

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households and ways in which they access their financial resources during times of distress.

Owing to the prime location of the basti (settlement) there are a lot of commercial hubs where people find daily jobs to earn a basic income. For instance, MP Nagar, the busiest commercial hub of Bhopal attracts a lot of the residents from the basti for jobs in hotels or shops. Our perception of Railway being one of the prime employers for the residents was false when we realised that people only have private jobs. The luxury of having a government job was unknown in Vishwakarma Nagar.

A stretch of small thelas (temporary shops) in the front was one of the most viable options for the residents to work from their own area. This way they could cater to the passengers who were commuting via the railway station. A similar such commercial belt is on the rear end of the basti where people run salons, daily confectionary shop and even tailor shops.

We understood that gender plays a major role in financial standings. Men usually work as a daily labour or have private jobs in the commercial areas around Habibganj. The fact that a majority of the women don’t get the choice to pursue a regular job results in households run only on one single earning hand. The reason for a few women to have a regular stable job is either to support the erratic job conditions of their husbands or in case of no earning hand at all. The proximity of BHEL quarters insures relatively steady housekeeping jobs for women. Though there aren’t any on-site work organisations, small businesses exist that run within the house premises by women. These jobs add to the extra income and mainly consist of stitching or ironing clothes.

The young demographics of Vishwakarma Nagar find it hard to get a decent job due to the economical slack and are generally found working as unpaid labour or starting a small scale business with friends/ family.

The more affluent Bengali community has a religious committee that works closely with the local leaders. In return of votes these political parties fund their religious festivals and provide infrastructural aid.

Noticeably, from the interviews we conducted we drew out the conclusion that a lot of the savings of the family are either transferred back to the home back in the village or is used to buy land in the city. Due to the absence of any savings group, the financial literacy isn’t high.

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SOCIAL CAPITAL

Social capital refers to the interpersonal relations within the residents and the network they make outside the community that create trust (Livelihoodscentre.org, 2018). To study these social dynamics of Vishwakarma Nagar we delved into this capital in two dimensions: vertical and horizontal relations.

Vertical relations. These relations mainly refer to the power dynamics of the residents with the local government. There is lack of community representation for the residents creating a loophole in the communication between the two parties. During the co-design workshop residents mocked the fact that they get to see the ward councillor only once in four years, that is, right before the election period.

The influential families, on the other hand, have contacts in the municipal office and tend to get their demands heard. This results in the marginalised being more invisible creating insecurity and lack of trust in the system. Some NGOs and government healthcare schemes work in the area via the anganwadis ensuring some sort of attention and platform for future schemes to be implemented.

Horizontal relations. Within each household, men and women hold different social space due to the existent patriarchy and due to the

34 financial independence of the former. It’s a common sight to see women take over public gathering space every evening to either knit or debate about the latest happenings and men to gamble.

The strongest social capital in this dimension is residents’ strong sense of belonging to their community, among which the most well-built form is the religious strength that is evident in the networking within.

However, the Bihari and the Bengali mahallah have an unsaid boundary that is respected by both the communities. This regional and religion-based disparity, though sensitive, clearly depicted an unhealthy atmosphere for the weaker and the minority.

CONCLUSION

The above capitals give a brief insight into the strengths and assets of the grounds on which the community is built on. During times of shocks and distress the community taps on these assets to deal and recover. It creates an interesting case of how the abundant assets balance the ones that are absent. It’s essential to draw on these strengths of the community to ensure their potential is utilised to its full potential.

On the other hand, ‘asset poverty’ is an indication of systematic discrimination in the development process (Aliber, 2001; Du Toit, 2004: Hall and Patrinos, 2005). The fact that within one community there lies various region and religion based disparities is a clear indicator of the distribution of resources and the ability to afford them. This brings us to social capital, which didn’t exhibit high competence but has high potential if intervened. The strong sense of community and neighbourhood ensures a healthy bonding within the community. However, the social structure that divides the community in unsaid halves.

From our study of Vishwakarma Nagar it’s clear that the human capital of residents is one of its strongest assets owing to the plethora of options in healthcare and education institutes. The young demographics, too, proves to be a favourable asset that ensures complete harness of opportunities and provides young workforce.

Informality attributes to the physical capital largely due to tenure insecurity which doesn’t allow the residents to invest in infrastructure and services.

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