RE-HOUSING THE SLUM DWELLERS IN BOMBAY Part 1 Project 2000 Sanket Jayakar University of Mumbai | India RE-HOUSING THE SLUM DWELLERS IN BOMBAY The cities and towns, all over the world are growing very rapidly, especially in the developing countries, the Third World countries. The year 2000 will see an estimated figure of 50 cities, overtaking the 15 million population mark and 40 of these will be in these Third World countries. What is even scarier is the fact that while the Indian nation has grown by 50 % and the Bombay city by 100%, the squatters have increased by more than 1100%. The provision of even the basic necessities and amenities to this section, is a daunting task. The opportunity to improve their living conditions, particularly their housing and community life, is a real challenge to all people interested in architecture, planning and urban development .AIMS & OBJECTIVESTo study the situation.To understand the need for rehabilitation.To come up with a re-housing programme proposing an appropriate scheme for housing policy.To allow for self- sustainable development using commercial potential of plot.To create employment opportunities during course of rehabilitation to enable slum dwellers to generate a continuous cross-subsidy.To promote participation & develop social cohesiveness and self-confidence.ISSUESQuality of living environment.Liability of society to provide adequate shelter to underprivileged people.Generation of immediate cross-subsidy.Economic activities generating continuous cross-subsidy.Environmental degradation due to encroachment.PROJECT EFFECTIVENESS:Understanding people’s need and affordability.Close co-operation between community & authorities.Co-operation & ideas of people used for community benefit.Active involvement of people rather than in passive management input.Establishing a self-generating activity which has an educational effect and may enhance emergence of self–reliant & co-operative communities.TARGETS TO BE ACHIEVED:- Setting up a grass root community organisation- Not letting decision making remain a bureautic process.- Making the people competant enough to undertake their tasks fully.- Tackling contractors resistance to working with slum dwellers labour by justifying their reliability.- Bridging the gap/void between formal & informal building systems.- Process of housing by the masses instead of mass production.- Creating a living environment conducive to improved quality of life.COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION:- Grass root democracy.- Right to decision–making since it directly affects their living conditions.- Social developments targeting social self-reliance.- Strong community organisations helping even future development & maintenance.- Undertaking new projects ,with implementations & management’s on their own. TUTORS STATEMENTSanket Jayakar’s thesis project for Re-housing the slum dwellers in Mumbai reflects the concern of Rizvi College of Architecture for the poorer sections of the society. The project located near Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai is environmentally sensitive.The metropolis of Mumbai with a population of about 15 million has more than 50% of its citizens living in slums. These slums are located in environmentally sensitive areas. The State Government of Maharashtra has launched a programme of re-development of slum communities. The thesis on Re-housing the slum dwellers in Mumbai focuses on the study of current housing situation to understand the issues involved in rehabilitation process. It is a humane approach which proposes a re-housing programme with suggestions for appropriate housing policy.The design strategy allows for self- sustainable development using commercial potential of plot. It provides opportunity for generating employment during course of rehabilitation and enables enables a cross-subsidy.It promotes peoples’ participation & develops an ambience of social cohesiveness and self-confidence.Sanket Jayakar’s design thesis has done justice to the issues involved and has succeeded in evolving a humane and sustainable architecture.