The Slums, Poverty, Inequality and Marginalization of Slum Dwellers in North-Western India: A Sociological Study with Focus on Housing, Basic Services, Environment and Livelihood

Marginalization, poverty and inequality in urban areas of Northwestern India have become crucial issues in the recent past which largely seem to be due to serious deficiencies in urban environmental infrastructure and deprived human conditions in slums. Situation is worst in metropolitan towns and larger urban areas of North-western India which are growing with deficiencies in urban infrastructure and deprived human conditions in slums. Housing is grossly inadequate and in dilapidated conditions. There is fear of eviction among the slum dwellers due to insecurity of land tenure. The access to basic amenities, civic services and livelihood is grossly inadequate. Some recent studies/ surveys of slum dwellers indicate extremely poor environmental infrastructure and deprived conditions. With the growing marginalization of urban poor and inequality in the form of access of housing, basic amenities and livelihood options, the social and environmental conditions in cities have been deteriorating. Although there are few local initiatives which have improved the human conditions and environmental infrastructure in some neighborhoods in the region but they remain fragmented. The paper, based on some recent studies is an effort to highlight deficiencies housing, basic services, environment and livelihood in the slums in Northwestern Urban India to see the emerging patterns of marginalization and inequality and environment.