NAME- REHAN NIZAMI

CLASS- XII SCIENCE

SECTION- A

SUBJECT- ENGLISH CORE

SUBJECT CODE- 301

Exploring Urban Poverty: A
Comparative Analysis of Slums in
Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata through
the Lens of 'Lost Spring' by Anees
Jung
Introduction

This presentation explores in Delhi,

Mumbai, and Kolkata, using 'Lost Spring' by
Anees Jung as a lens. We will analyze the
living conditions, challenges, and aspirations
of slum dwellers in these cities, shedding
light on the harsh realities of their daily
lives.
We will discuss about the comparative
knowledge between the slums of variety of
cities all over India.
Context: 'Lost
Spring'

Anees Jung's provides a poignant

portrayal of the lives of impoverished
children in urban India. Through her
vivid storytelling, she highlights the
struggles, dreams, and resilience of
these children, offering a compelling
insight into the harsh realities of urban
poverty.
In real world many kids suffer this
problem. They have the capability of
imagining though they lack the
necessities to give it life.
What is Slum?
A slum is a highly dense urban residential area with tightly packed housing units of poor quality
and primarily associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or
incomplete, and impoverished people mainly inhabit them. Although generally, urban areas
accommodate slums, in some countries, they can be found in suburban areas with poor housing
quality and adverse living conditions. Even though slums differ in various characteristics, most
lack consistent sanitation services, clean water supply, dependable electricity, law enforcement,
and other essential services. Slum residences vary from huts to professionally built dwellings that
have deteriorated because of poor-quality construction or lack of necessary maintenance. Among
many places in India, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Delhi are more attractive places and thus naturally
originated slum areas. However, a comparative study may help point out the commonalities and
differences between slums across and within the cities, which may also help policymakers design
more targeted and effective policy options.
 Types of slums
The general term slum can refer to both 'bastis' and 'squatter' settlements. The Basti (a local term
used in all three cities) settlements are the tenements created by local landlords or their agents to
provide shelters to migrant industrial workers based on a (long-term) lease agreement (called Thika
or Pagri). The Squatter settlements (local terms are Jhupri in Kolkata, Zopadpatti in Mumbai, and
Jhuggi Jhopri in Delhi) are illegally occupied (either on private or government lands) clusters of
quasi-permanent habitation along the canals, railway tracts, or roads or any previously vacant
degraded lands. It is worth mentioning that dwellers in squatters often anticipate potential
evictions – though of different degrees – depending on the settlements' location and political
affiliations
Delhi: The Urban
Struggle
Major slums in Delhi: Some
prominent slums in Delhi are
Patrachar slum, Seemapuri slum,
Outram Lane slum, Lalita Park slum

Origin of slums in Delhi: Unlike in

Kolkata and Mumbai, in Delhi, the
initial proliferation of slums was
related to a historical transformation
process, which was linked to the
change of rulers and their approaches
to city formation and community
management from time to time.
There are two critical phases in the growth of slums in Delhi –
1. Restructuring of Colonial Shahjahanabad by the British ruler, which saw the start of the process of
slummification. After the revolt in 1857, and with the end of Mughal Rule, the British restructured large
parts of the city, built a railway system in 1867 through the walled city by removing gardens and katras
in that area, established a temporary capital and planned a new capital. The prominent changes were
ejecting the city's population and destroying one-third of traditional neighbourhoods. Original settlers
of the city, Muslim habitats, were forcefully driven out of the area, and the abandoned Havelis were
sold out to many wealthy Hindu traders. The poorer and middle-class community (mainly artisans) who
used to live in the outskirts moved in and occupied abandoned houses. Larger Havelis were alienated
among the new heterogeneous settlers from different classes, religions, and professions. Besides this,
during the construction of the new capital city ("New Delhi"), there was a considerable population influx
into the Old City. Many were either evicted from the New Delhi area or migrant laborers employed in the
construction of New Delhi. It rapidly increased the population of an already crowded Old City between
1916 and 1926. Nothing was done to relieve the previous congestion or house the new entrants. Once
based on class in the Mughal era, the settlement pattern started to convert into a commerce hub;
numerous household enterprises employed many of the slum resident laborers in the early 20th
Century.

2. post-colonial/independence era which accentuated the process. Soon after 'partition' many Muslim
families from the area abandoning their houses migrated to Pakistan, and the many Hindu refugees
from Pakistan, who got temporary shelter in Purana Qila and Daryaganj, eventually occupied the
abandoned houses. These havelis then started functioning as commercial complexes with people
running their shops in them. Old Delhi that had been a picture of both change and continuity; it's now a
commercial slum. The negligence of the planners towards Old Delhi resulted in its transformation to a
large slum area through deterioration and collapse. By the Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance)
Act of 1956, government declared it, along with Nizamuddin area, as "slum designated area". Through a
notification on 28 April 1994 by Slum & JJ Department of Government of Delhi about 100,000
Katras/properties have been identified as Slum in the Walled City and its extension. Last de-
notification by Slum & JJ Department was done in 2004. Some parts of Paharganj were de-notified.
Mumbai: The City of Contrasts
Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) is a densely
populated city on India’s west coast. A financial
center, it's India's largest city. On the Mumbai
Harbour waterfront stands the iconic Gateway of
India stone arch, built by the British Raj in 1924.
Offshore, nearby Elephanta Island holds ancient
cave temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
The city's also famous as the heart of the
Bollywood film industry.

Major slums in Mumbai: Dharavi, Banganga, and

Antop Hill are some of the largest slums in
Mumbai.
Origin of slums in
Mumbai:
1. Because of trade, between 1661 and 1675, there was a many-fold increase in population. Many prosperous
traders were allowed to build houses inside the British fort. The rest – the lesser mortals, who were engaged in
handicraft making 25 and petty trading – ghettoed in to form a crowded "native town" around the fort's walls.
This native town probably gave rise to the first slums in Bombay

2. From the middle of the 19th century, the city's prosperity changed with the boom of the Cotton business
associated with establishing railways. The onward growth of Bombay from the second half of the nineteenth
century was linked to trade. Many of today's slums are the by-products of the cotton boom

3. In the 1880s, concerned with epidemics, the British colonial government expelled several polluting industries
and their workers (many Indian residents of the Native Town) to the village of Koliwadas at the distant
northern edge of the city and the well-known Slum of Dharavi was born in 1887. The Dharavi is the largest Slum
in Mumbai, with more than a million population.
Kolkata: Heart of Sonar
Bangla
In Kolkata's slums, residents grapple with poverty,
unemployment, and limited access to healthcare.
Despite these challenges, they exhibit a remarkable
sense of community and resilience, striving for a
better future amidst the harsh urban landscape.

Major slums in Kolkata: Belgachia, Tangra, and

Tiljala are some slum areas in Kolkata.
 Origin of slums in
1.
Kolkata:
The first instances of slums were created by the ghettos of servants who came to serve their
imperial masters and families.

2. In the middle of the nineteenth century, with the industrialization in Bengal, village people were
migrating to Kolkata for better earnings. However, due to the unavailability
of residential facilities, they had to live in squatters nearby the factories without proper
infrastructure.

3. After the partition in 1947 and the Bangladesh war in 1971, a flood of refugees occupied unused
areas and thus created slum areas.

4. Huts were erected on swampy land; houses were subdivided, and thousands of people squeezed into
apartments like passengers on a crowded bus, the source of the word bustee. In some slums,
one-room thatched huts with 600 people were set up around a stagnant pond. The worst slums
contain massive heaps of garbage.
Comparative Analysis
Slum Population in Kolkata: The population in Kolkata slams
is roughly 1.5 million, which is small compared to that in
Mumbai.

Slum Population in Mumbai (According to 2011 census)

Slum Population in Delhi: At present the population in Delhi slams are

roughly 2 million which is small compared to that of Mumbai but larger
than Kolkata.
Implications and
Reflections

The exploration of urban poverty in these three

cities prompts critical reflections on the
structural inequalities, policy implications,
and collective responsibility in addressing the
plight of slum dwellers. It underscores the urgent
need for holistic interventions and sustainable
solutions to alleviate urban poverty.
 Conclusion

In conclusion, this comparative analysis offers

a compelling insight into the multifaceted
realities of urban poverty in Delhi, Mumbai, and
Kolkata.
Through the lens of 'Lost Spring', we have
gained a deeper understanding
of the challenges, resilience, and aspirations of
slum dwellers, highlighting the imperative for
collective action and sustainable interventions.
 Thanks!
Bibliography
1. Bag, S., Seth, S., & Gupta, A. (2016). A Comparative Study of Living Conditions in Slums of Three Metro Cities in
India. Leeds University Business School Working Paper No. 16-07. Retrieved from .

2. Jung, A. (n.d.). Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood. NCERT. Retrieved from .

3. CBSE. (n.d.). Lost Spring – CBSE Notes for Class 12 English Prose. Retrieved from .

4. English Charity. (2019). Lost Spring – CBSE Class 12 – Explanation and Answers. Retrieved from .

5. Jagran Josh. (2024). CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo (Prose) Chapter 2 Lost Spring Notes. Retrieved from .