Site Visit Report

Darukhana Slum May 2013

Lily Pozzetti Holt

Place Date Time Site Visit Team Purpose

Darukhana Slums, Mumbai (2 pockets) 30/05/13 4.00pm 5.00pm Lily Pozzetti Holt (Structural Engineer), Shreyashi (Urban Planner) Get an overview of slum life, identify issues

1. Introduction
Two slum pockets were visited, as well as the main causeway and industrial areas of the slum. Each pocket represented 600 dwellings housing approximately 3000 people. The area is found on the East Coast of southern Mumbai, abutting the Darukhana Ship Breakers Yard, were many of the male residents are employed.

2. Observations
2.2 Access
Route to dwellings is through industrial heart of the slum. Access route is wide but busy with manual labourers, industrial vehicles and taxis. Slum pockets are entered by turning off of the arterial routes into a semi-public open space. This area is used as a social space and extension of living space. From here access is through walkways of 1m 0.7m in width, with residential structures on either side.

Figure 1: Arterial Route through Industrial Zone

Walkways in the residential areas of the slum are often dark, due to overhanging first floor structures, some so dark that walking freely is affected. Pools of stagnant water are common. Female residents, children and livestock are seen in these walkways, making them very crowded, and not easy to pass through quickly, or in groups. The upper residential floors are reached by ladder. The fringes of the slum pocket are against a body of water, which links to the sea. There are areas where wider walk ways lead on to the water.

2.3 Dwellings
Dwellings are of varied construction methods and lie in close proximity to both each other and through-routes. Some more affluent abodes are of brick construction on the ground floor, and sometimes first floor living spaces. Other residences are of reclaimed timber construction, often with

a tarpaulin roof, or walls. The majority of the dwellings are composite structures of timber, tarpaulins and masonry, with a lighter upper floor construction. Living space is generally between 4m2 and 16m2 per storey, and structures tend not to be above 2 storeys. Internal space varies in quality from tiled, rooms with electricity and beds, to areas with a packed earth floor and timber sleeping platform. The space directly outside each dwelling is heavily utilised by the residents as a washing, cooking and socialising area. In some areas of the slum, these front spaces were designated, whereas, in more dense areas of the slum, the walkways between dwellings became a multifunctional area.

Figure 2: Entrance to Residential Zone from Communal Square

Figure 3: A Relatively Wide Domestic Street

2.4 Residents
20% of the residents are children. This is evident in their presence. The children run free in the slum, often without adult supervision. The residents, to many extents, live communally. Within the slum there are open spaces, used as social areas. The proximity of one dwelling to the next means that there is little privacy in the residential areas. At the time of our visit, the male population was at work, leaving the women, children and elderly. Cleanliness is evident in most dwellings; the units are kept clean to live in, particularly the tiled dwellings. The children were seen being washed in the outside areas, although their clothes were often dirty. Children were seen swimming in open water, 50m from the communal open defecation area.

Figure 4: Inside a Less Sanitary Dwelling

The overall feeling of the area is one of happiness. The residents seemed to be sociable. Often dwellings are extensively decorated, giving the inner slum a colourful, lively appearance, rather than one of poverty.

Many women and children were seen carrying vast quantities of water long distances through the slum. The weight of these tanks is too heavy to be safe for children to transport.

2.5 Water
Water was being supplied to the site during the visit, through hose pipes, which went through the walk ways. These pipes are prone to leakage, making pools of water in the through-routes of the slums. Water is available from taps at very few points in the slums. People gathered around the tap, which was located next to a solid waste disposal area.

Figure 5 & 6: Water Collection and Storage

Water is stored outside of the residences in plastic butts. These buts are mostly covered, although some were open and scum was visible on the surface. Those butts which are covered are capped with a piece of reclaimed timber or plastic and often, these do not cover the full opening of the water butt.

2.6 Facilities
Within one slum pocket there is a small pay-per-use toilet facility, consisting of 7 seats. This is semiclean and manned full time. Adjacent to this is a space commonly used for open defecation. The defecation areas are divided in to childrens, mens, and womens areas and also serve as an area to dump household waste. This area was on the edge of a body of water which children were swimming in. In areas of the slum pockets, holy areas were set up. These show a higher level of cleanliness and are usually accompanied by a small area of open space. The areas are often colourful places. In one slum pocket there is an NGO run school which has a student population of around 400 children. This area is particularly near the direct access to the ship yard. Waste disposal sites are few. 2 sites were seen, totalling 4 communal waste containers. Around these containers was overflow waste, indicating waste collection is not regular enough. The waste

disposal areas are situated some distance from the residential areas encouraging waste disposal in to the water. In the slum there are several communal waste sites, all abutting the water. Animals graze on these sites. Years of waste disposal in to the water means that the water banks are densely covered in waste. In the residential areas of the slum there are small shops which sell food items. Some residences have a sunken sink in front of their dwellings, with small taps. These are used for washing.

3. Existing Hazards and Potential Hazards

3.1 Existing Hazards
3.1.1 Drinking Water Contamination Water being stored in contaminated butts in warm weather creates a breeding ground for waterborne diseases. 3.1.2 Access to Water Water is only available sporadically and is far away from residential areas. Children carry heavy loads. Storing water is encouraged due to lack of availability. 3.1.3 Stagnant Water in Residential Areas Leaking hose pipes and ill-disposed waste water lies in access routes where children play and many social activities take place. This water will attract bacteria and mosquito breeding and enable malaria and sickness. 3.1.4 Structural Stability Buildings are of inconsistent structure, built by unskilled workers. It is likely that no structure meets current India standards. 3.1.5 Access to Adequate Toilet Facilities Adequate toilet facilities are desperately needed. Open defecation leads to an insanitary environment

3.2 Potential Hazards

3.2.1 Flooding The proximity to water and the tropical climate of Mumbai mean that monsoons can bring flooding. The water that will be brought in to community areas and homes is contaminated with human waste, solid waste and chemicals from the shipping yard. 3.2.2 Fire The density of the dwellings combined with the lack of safe exit route for mass evacuation, mean that if fire were to break out, multiple deaths would be likely.

4. Potential Actions
4.1 Parameters of Work
The slum is illegal. This means it has no status and in the governments and land owners eyes, does not exist. This means all interventions must be demountable as building on this ground is also illegal. Monsoon season is coming; therefore, flood defence systems need to be in place promptly.

4.2 Suggested Interventions

In regards to impure water, a point of consumption filtration system should be adopted. A community led education initiative to teach the SODIS water purification technique could be adopted. This technique is inexpensive and simple. As space is not widely available outside of the community squares, a floated raft could be used to put the bottles on when they are undergoing UVA disinfection.

Figure 7: SODIS Water Sanitation Method

Stagnant water is all over the residential areas. Filling pot holes would be a simple way to ensure less water settles. Furthermore, one of the main causes of the water is the hose pipes which pass through the streets. If these pipes were rendered unnecessary, there would be less water in the lanes. The installation of more taps in the slum is unfeasible as this would be a permanent change. Once a fire takes hold in the slum, it is inevitable that it will spread. Until now the main way of stopping a slum fire is to try and dampen the flames and to dismantle residences to starve the fire of fuel and contain it to a single area. The routes through the slum are very narrow, making a mass evacuation difficult and potentially dangerous. This report suggests creating marked access routes out of the slum pockets in case of fire. It also recommends installing small fire stations in community squares so that in the case of outbreak, extinguishers and fire blankets are readily available. The aim is to stop the fire before it becomes out of hand. Education on fire safety and encouragement for every dwelling to keep their own fire extinguisher, for use on electrical fires should be undertaken.

Figure 8: Fire Extinguishers For Outdoor Use

Flooding is a notable problem in the slums, not only because of the destruction, but because the flood water is highly contaminated. Demountable flood barriers are available which use water to hold back the flood. It is suggested that these are placed at key areas within the slum, particularly areas next to stilted houses where there is direct access to the water.

Figure 9, 10 & 11: Demountable Flood Barriers And The Area Where They Could Be Used

The flood water contains human effluents due to the proximity to a communal open defecation site. Reducing the level of open defecation would reduce contamination levels in the water. Introducing adequate toilet facilities would greatly reduce the need for open defecation. Sanergy piloted a scheme where portable toilets were franchised to slum dwellers. Waste is deposited in to cartridges which are easily removed and replaced. The cartridge is taken to a local bio-gas plant and converted in to fertiliser and gas, which creates revenue. Slum-dwellers pay a nominal charge to use the bathrooms, which goes to the franchisee, and the money generated from the fuel provision goes into subsidising the cost of more toilet units. A scheme like this, with community participation could work well in the Darukhana slum area. The scheme has seen positive results in the slums of Nairobi.

5. Conclusions
There are simple measures which could increase the safety and sanitation of the Darukhana slums. . Interventions must be in spaces that the community wants them: however, space is difficult to find. The interventions decided on must be sympathetic to the philosophy of the area and not make residents feel alienated in their own environment. The area is a happy one, so it is very important to retain this when considering measure to take. It would be very easy to make the slum much worse for the residents, whilst attempting to make it better. .