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Slum Growth in Bhubaneswar: A Problem or Solution?

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 I T P I
ITPI JOURNAL
5 : 4 (2008) 59 - 64 JOURNAL
www.itpi.org.in

SLUM GROWTH IN BHUBANESWAR: A PROBLEM OR SOLUTION?

NIHAR RANJAN ROUT

Lecturer, Department of Population Studies, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, Orissa

ABSTRACT
The slum population in Bhubaneswar is found to be more than 30 percent of the total city population, which has shown tremendous
growth during the last decade. In this study, landlessness was found to be the major reason behind migratory movements to the
slums, followed by economic problem, irregular work and unemployment at their place of origin. Apart from poor living conditions and
health related problems, slum dwellers also reported about the problems of poor civic facilities, fear of displacement, irregular work,
and insufficient income. According to their perceptions, major problems were related to housing, employment and environment,
compared to those related to society and social life. Many researchers argue that slums are not problems that have to be solved;
rather they represent a solution of shelter for the poor. Now the challenge for the policy makers is to facilitate the types of movement
that are most likely to lead to alleviation of poverty, while protecting the slum dwellers from abuse and exploitation.

1. INTRODUCTION number of case studies at the Habitat Conference

Deteriorating rural conditions and an expectation at Vancouver in 1976 highlighted the conditions
of getting better jobs, income and quality of life in in squatter settlements, calling for a concerted and
the urban areas has generated a huge flow of poor committed approach towards solving the problem.
migrants to the cities all over the world. According Abrams (1964) advocated the process of
to Srinivas (1996) this trend has become squatting as a ‘conquest’ of city areas for the
intensified in the developing countries, particularly purpose of shelter, defined both by the law of force
during the last three decades. Owing to such and the force of law. Turner (1976) and Payne
massive inflow of migrants to the cities, resulting (1977) also put some positive views regarding
in rapid growth of urban areas in most of the slum growth and its inevitability, and considered
developing countries, there has been a huge the same as highly successful solutions to housing
shortfall in many sectors, primarily housing. problems in urban areas of developing countries.
Unavailability of required number of houses and Although the magnitude of problems related to
inability of the poor migrants to afford a house slums has changed drastically, the scenario has
remained all the same, even after 30 years of the
inside the urban area has led to proliferation of
Conference.
slums and squatter settlements in the cities. As
defined by the Census of India (2001) slum refers Regarding the people who reside in urban slums,
to a compact area of at least 300 population or they are normally migrants coming from
about 60-70 households of poorly built, economically less advantageous rural areas. In the
congested tenements in unhygienic environment words of Skeldon (2002) migration is often seen
usually with inadequate infrastructure and lacking as a flight from poverty. Many studies have
in proper sanitary and drinking water facilities. This indicated that migration occurs mainly for
work is an attempt to understand the process of economic reasons (Chandra, 2002). High
slum growth in the city of Bhubaneswar and the unemployment rate, low income, high population
specific objectives of this study are to find out growth, unequal distribution of land, demand for
the growth of slum population in the city of higher schooling, prior migration pattern and
Bhubaneswar and to know about the reasons dissatisfaction with housing have been identified
behind migratory movements to the urban slums; as some of the prominent determinants of rural
and to get an idea about the living conditions and out migration (Hossain, 2001).
problems faced by the slum dwellers.
Many researchers have suggested that slum
2. REVIEW OF SELECTED LITERATURE settlements used to represent an active,
There have been a substantial number of studies grassroots attempt by the desperately poor to
discussing growth of slums and squatters and take care of themselves. However, there are equal
features associated with their development. A vast number of studies, may be even more, discussing
 Nihar Ranjan Rout / ITPI Journal 5 : 4 (2008) 59 - 64

the unhealthy and unhygienic living and vulnerable sampling. In total, 144 households were covered
working conditions of the slum dwellers. They are in the five slums and a structured interview
exposed to abusive working conditions, they are schedule was used to interview the head of each
required to work for long hours, they experience of the selected household.
non-payment or deferred payment of salary, they
lack social security and health protection and they 4. ANALYSIS, DISCUSSION AND
experience maltreatment and violence too. FINDINGS
According to Sclar and Northridge (2003) while 4.1 Slum Growth in the City
their physical forms vary by place and over time, Bhubaneswar, along with Gandhinagar and
slums are uniformly characterized by inadequate Chandigarh was re-planned just after the
provision of basic infrastructure and public services independence for administrative purposes. The
necessary to sustain health, such as water, Census results have revealed that Bhubaneswar
sanitation, and drainage. Buildings made of flimsy has doubled after every 10 years in terms of its
materials are prone to ignite, frequently collapse, population. Its population was a mere 16,512,
and offer scant protection against the elements, when it got the NAC status in 1952. It became a
leaving their residents vulnerable to injury, Class III town in the next Census itself (1961) and
violence, illness, and death. Further, since many a Class I city with municipality status in 1971. The
of these settlements are illegal, slum dwellers often city was declared a Municipal Corporation in the
have no official redress system and are commonly year 1992 and according to the 2001 Census it
denied basic rights and entitlements, including the accommodates 648,032 people in the main city
right to vote, public education, and health care. area of 135 sq km. The extent of population
growth in the city of Bhubaneswar can be well
3. METHODS AND MATERIALS
visualized from Table 1.
To analyze the growth of slum population in
Bhubaneswar both published and unpublished It has been found that slum dwellers constitute a
data of Bhubaneswar Development Authority major part of the city population in most of the
were used. A few other studies about the capital developing countries. The capital city of Orissa is
city of Orissa were also cross-referred to get some no exception to that. As per a study by the
supporting evidence. For achieving the next two Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA)
objectives, a primary survey was conducted in considerable population amounting to 200,097
five slums in the city of Bhubaneswar. As a part of i.e. 30 percent of total population were living in
the sampling process, the whole city was divided slums in the year 2001. Census 2001 data has
into five zones, depending upon their geographical provided similar figure too. However, many NGOs
proximity and period and type of development. working for slums in Bhubaneswar like Ruchika
At stage one, one slum from each zone was Trust claimed that the figure of slum population is
selected randomly, keeping in mind that all the as high as 40 percent or even more. After the
five selected slums should come from five different super cyclone in 1999, a survey was undertaken
zones. The selected slums have mostly a linear by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to
pattern of settlement with a line of back-to-back identify and assist slum dwellers in Bhubaneswar
houses separated from another similar line by a for providing relief. As per the survey 190 slums
narrow road. At stage two, 30 households were were identified out of which 59 slums were found
selected from each of the slums using systematic on own land or land provided by Government

Table 1 Population Growth in Bhubaneswar

Year Population Year Population Year Population

1921 8110 1951 16512 1981 219419
1931 9024 1961 38211 1991 411542
1941 9253 1971 105491 2001 648032
Source: Various Censuses of Orissa

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 Nihar Ranjan Rout / ITPI Journal 5 : 4 (2008) 59 - 64

under resettlement process and 131 slums were 4.2 Migratory in-flow to the city Slums
situated on encroached land of about 300 acre. It is a well-known fact that slum dwellers are in
The last decade has shown tremendous growth fact migrant workers who come to the city with
of 78 percent of the slum population, which was an economic motive, find it hard to get a dwelling
mainly an outcome of the vast devastation caused
place inside the city area, at an affordable rate
by the super cyclone leading to huge migration
and either move to the existing slums or make
from the rural hinterland and other areas in search
their own. According to Srinivas (1996) the vast
of employment particularly in the construction
sector. majority of these men and women are farmers
and farm laborers who in their villages lack
The BDA has classified the slum settlements in the resources and opportunities for an economically
city into slum colonies belonging to industrial active life. A migrant’s to hold in the city may be a
workers, common slums, population squatting on squatter shanty or nearby marginal land. They
the land belonging to Indian Railways and other often stay with relatives on undesirable public sites,
government agencies. But one thing was found hoping that the public authorities will not notice
to be common among them i.e. lack of civic their invasion of public or private land. They move
services, unhygienic living conditions coupled with for many reasons - to find employment, or to
increase in housing stock deficit has given rise to escape calamities like floods, famine and drought.
slum dwellings and its population. Table 2 presents Rural poverty is the most fundamental reason for
data collected by the BDA on growth of slum the great migration to the city. Bhubaneswar is a
pockets, number of slum households and the slum
no exception.
population in Bhubaneswar over the years, which
suggest that there has been a very high growth The data collected for this study suggested that
of slum population in Bhubaneswar, compared to all the interviewed slum dwellers were migrants
the overall population growth of the city. As per having a rural base. Quite naturally, 108 of them
the calculated growth rates, the problem has
were from Orissa, 29 from Andhra Pradesh, 5 from
become intensified during the last decade.
Bihar and 2 were from Jharkhand. It clearly
According to the figures, as shown in Table 2, slum
indicates that movement of population to the city
population in Bhubaneswar grew at a rate of 11.82
in such a level somehow follows the law of
percent every year, during 1993 to 1999, which
was too high, compared to the general population distance. Regarding their origin, most of the
growth rate. Moreover, the population growth in migrant slum dwellers were from nearby districts
the city slums did not match at all with the rise in of Nayagarh (19.4 percent), Pulabani (13.2
the number of households. It was clearly evident percent), Khurda (9 percent) and Ganjam (8.3
form the figures given by the BDA that while percent). Cuttack and Puri were the two other
population in the slums grew at an annual rate of districts, though very close to Bhubaneswar, fell a
11.82 percent, households in the slums grew at a bit low in the rank table. The explanation of such
very low rate of 3.89 percent every year during trend might be the presence of cities like Cuttack
1993 to 1999. and Puri in the aforesaid districts respectively, which

Table 2 Trend of Population Growth in the Slums of Bhubaneswar

Year Number Households Annual Rate Slum Annual Population
of Pockets HH Growth Population Growth rate
1971 7 NA NA NA NA
1981 23 NA NA NA NA
1989 70 17175 NA 86901 NA
1991 86 21003 11.14 110112 13.35
1993 101 24318 7.89 117000 3.13
1999 145 30000 3.89 200000 11.82
Source: Bhubaneswar Development Authority (Cited in Environmental Management Plan Bhubaneswar; OSPCB; 2003)

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 Nihar Ranjan Rout / ITPI Journal 5 : 4 (2008) 59 - 64

Table 3 Percentage Distribution of Table 4 Percentage Distribution of

Migrants Based on the Main Reason for Households Against Different Categories
Migration of Living Arrangements

Reason for migration Percentage Background variables Percentage

Got a job 03.47 Type of house
Unemployment 09.03 • Kuchha 25.00
Landlessness 32.64 • Semi-puckka 69.19
Economic problem 17.36 • Puckka 11.81
Irregular work 17.36 Number of living room
Natural calamity 03.47 • Only One 79.86
Large family 04.17 • 2 to 4 20.14
Indebtness 06.25
Presence of kitchen
Family tension/ conflict 02.08
• No 61.81
Father’s death 02.08
• Yes 38.19
Higher aspiration 02.08
Source of drinking water
N 144
(Multiple Response) • Private tap 04.86
• Private well 03.47
• Public tap 69.44
also could have been acted as labor attracting
centers. • Public tube well 06.94
• Public well 15.28
Economic disadvantage always appears as the • Toilet facility
strongest influential or push factor in migration • Inside the premise 10.42
decision of an individual, at least when labor • Public/Common 12.50
migration is considered. Whatsoever might the • Open field 77.08
response be, most of the reasons (Table 3) could
have been clubbed under the category of weaker sections of the migrant population settling
‘economic motive’. There were 62 percent landless in slums, thereby further increasing the existing
within the sample and landlessness of course was slum population.
the biggest reason for their migration (32.64
percent), followed by economic problems and It was found from the primary survey that
irregular work (17.36 percent each) and majority of slum dwellers had self-owned kucha
unemployment (9.03 percent). Indebtedness, or semi-pucca houses without separate kitchen,
large family, lack of a job, natural calamity, family toilet and private tap or well facility. Looking at
tension or conflict, father’s death and higher the exact distribution (Table 4), there were 25
aspiration were the other reasons. percent kucha houses, 69.19 percent semi pucca
houses and 11.81 percent pucca houses in the
4.3 Living Condition of the Slum Dwellers sample and as far as type of accommodation was
According to the Environmental Management Plan concerned 73 percent of them had own house,
of Bhubaneswar (2003) most of the slums of the while 23 percent had either rented house or
city are located on unutilized government land or houses provided by the employer. Most of the
railway land, which remained temporarily vacant houses (79.86 percent) had one living room and
where development could not be done there were 17.36 percent houses with 2 rooms,
immediately. The report also states that slums are whereas the average number of persons per living
usually devoid of services, prone to all types of room for the entire sample was obtained to be as
natural hazards, have poor housing and living high as 3.35 persons.
conditions and hence can pose severe
environmental problems, including health risks. In Having a separate kitchen or a toilet inside the
the absence of appropriate economic activity, the premise was a rare phenomenon. Around 62
ongoing urbanization can lead to economically percent of the households were not having any

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 Nihar Ranjan Rout / ITPI Journal 5 : 4 (2008) 59 - 64

separate kitchen and 77 percent households were out of 144) reported that at least one of their
using open fields as toilet. Majority of the family members at the place of destination suffered
household (69. 44 percent) were using public tap form a disease during a period of 6 months prior
as the main source of drinking water followed by to the survey. As mentioned in Table 5, common
public well on which more than 15 percent cold and cough (17.36 percent) and fever (23.61
households were dependent. percent) were the most frequently occurring
diseases among the household members, followed
With increased duration of stay, there was an
by malaria and jaundice (6.94 percent each).
increase in number of migrants living in own house
Tuberculosis and feeling pain or weakness were
and there was an overall decreasing trend in case
the two other responses mentioned by 4.17
of rented houses. Similarly, probability of having a
percent households.
kitchen increased with increase in stay duration
and the case was same for private tap and private
There was only one migrant for whom the medical
well users. It certainly indicated a positive shift in
expenses were borne by an association and the
the living conditions of slum dwellers with increase
rest spent the amount from their own pockets. It
in the duration of stay.
clearly suggested that employers were never
4.4 Perceived Problems concerned about the health of the migrants or
The over all socio-economic aspects of their family members, as far as giving financial
developmental are extremely poor along with low- assistance was concerned.
level of income and productivity in almost all the
city slums. Slum provides a gigantic solution for Table 6 presents the percentage distribution of
the migrant workers coming to the city; but at households reporting other perceived problems
the same time, staying in such an awful place, the related to housing, environment and society.
dwellers suffer from a lot of problems. Regarding those problems, 68.75 percent of the

As far as health related problems were concerned, Table 6 Percentage Distribution of

65.28 percent households of the total sample (94 Households Reporting about Various
Problems (Multiple Response)
Table 5 Percentage Distribution of
Households Based on the Diseases Problem Percentage
Suffered by any of the Family Member Housing 6.94
During Last Six Months Civic facility 60.42
Maintenance of gutter 6.94
Disease Percentage Water logging 4.17
Fever 17.36 Prevalence of mosquito 68.75
Cold/Cough 23.61 Garbage accumulation 4.17
Diarrhea/Dysentery 2.08 Fear of evacuation 39.58
Malaria 6.94 Irregular work 45.14
Jaundice 6.94 Low wage 6.25
Eye problem 0.69 Insufficient income 37.50
Heart problem 2.08 Strainous work 11.11
Tuberculosis 4.17 Hazardous working condition 4.86
Physical injury 0.69 Misbehaviour of employer 3.47
Gyneic problem 0.69 Delayed payment 2.08
Pneumonia 1.39 Isolation 2.08
Pain/Weakness 4.17 Homesickness 4.86
Appendicitis 0.69 Language 0.69
Headache 0.69 Insecurity 1.39
Psychic problem 0.69 Adjustment 0.69
N 144 N 144 (Multiple
(Multiple Response) Response)

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 Nihar Ranjan Rout / ITPI Journal 5 : 4 (2008) 59 - 64

households reported the problem of mosquito while protecting the slum-dwellers from abuse and
bites whereas 60.42 percent reported poor civic exploitation.
facilities and 39.58 percent reported the fear of
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