Living in Bombay's slums

Bombay's slum-dwellers live in difficult conditions

Slums and shantytowns have been a part of Bombay's landscape for a long time.

In 1976, an official survey recorded that 2.8 million people living in some 1,680 settlements.

Bombay's population then was 5.9 million.

Housing is very expensive

In the two-and-a-half decades since, Bombay's population has grown and is now estimated to be 12.6 million, although this figure has been growing steadily.

An estimated 40% of Bombay's residents are said to live in slums or shantytowns.

Most of these people are migrants from poorer states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.

Many of them work as labourers, domestic help or rag-pickers.

Flimsy huts

Due to poverty, high rent and real estate prices, they are unable to afford proper accomodation.

Bombay in figures

12.6 million people

40% live in slums

Slums occupy 3.5% of Bombay

400,000 live per sq km

Therefore, they build unstable, flimsy huts on any available land.

The city's older slums - such as Dharavi, Byculla and Khar - have houses made of brick and mortar but lack drainage systems and toilet facilities.

But newer ones, such as Ghatkopar, have a mix of permanent and temporary structures.

Since slums occupy just 3.5% of Bombay's area, an estimate puts the number of people living in them at 400,000 per square kilometre.

Many people also live dangerously close to the railway tracks which cut through the heart of Bombay.

A United Nations estimate says Bombay's population will reach 27.37 million in the next 15 years, making it the most populated city after Tokyo.