Around 8.8 million households live in 33,510 urban slums
The 69th report of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) has some heartening news. It says that the number of slum households in urban India is coming down.
According to the survey conducted between July and December 2012, there were nearly 90 lakh urban slum dwellings in 2012, compared to 1.3 crore the previous year. It points to improving conditions in slums too; 93.5 per cent have power supply, 71 per cent have access to drinking water, and sewage and garbage disposal facilities are better. The NSSO’s findings suggest that programmes of urban renewal seem to be making a dent on the quality of infrastructure in slums. Not surprisingly, its findings have evoked considerable scepticism.
One may find it difficult to believe, but there were less number of slums in urban India in 2012 than three years ago. The number of slums came down by 32.34% to 33,150 in urban parts of the country in 2012, compared to 49,000 in 2009, official data released today showed. However, at least 12% of urban population still lived in slums in 2012.
The figures are based on the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report (69th) covering the period between July 2012 to December 2012. The previous survey was based on 65th round of NSSO covering the period July, 2008 to June, 2009.
The period 2008-09 was the one when India had witnessed ripple effects of global financial crisis, so economic conditions could have been worse that time. But, experts find it difficult to believe that the number of slums got reduced in urban India.
Shaibal Gupta, founder Member-Secretary of Asian Development Research Institute in Patna, said at the outset the data seem to be doubtful. However, given the fact that it is rolled out by NSSO, one cannot rubbish it as well, he said.
Gupta said one possible reason for the decline could that urban India is now a powerful constituency, unlike 30-35 years back. As such, all efforts are to reduce the slum areas, he said. When contacted, NSSO officials said the organisation has given the number, which is a raw fact.
In a statement, NSSO said at the all-India level 24% of slums benefited from welfare schemes such as Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) or any other scheme run by the Central government or state government or any local body.