Living standards and health problems of lesser fortunate slum dwellers: Evidence from an Indian city

For a fast growing economy like India where most of its cities experiencing consistently increase in urban population, the future welfare of city residents is heavily relied on providing better living conditions and health prospects to the urban dwellers particularly to those who are living in miserable and unhygienic environment. The paper derived slum condition index (Slum CI) of notified and non-notified slums for assessing relative status of living conditions and health status of slum dwellers in a fast growing city. Slum CI as a composite index of its four components of household environmental index (HECI), social condition index (SCI), economic condition index (ECI) and health condition index (HCI) worked as an effective tool for identifying not only the slums requiring attention but also priorities required for the development of healthy and smart city. Slum CI based analysis revealed wide inequalities in its four components. Non-notified slums were found to have poor slum conditions. Social, economic and health conditions demand higher priority over household environmental conditions in Nangla Battu. In Shobhapur and Phelera household environmental conditions should be accorded higher priority over social, economic and health conditions. The study has also identified priorities for the notified slums which have better slum conditions. For instance, in Jamna Nagar, social, economic and health conditions and in Uttam Nagar household environmental conditions should be given higher priority for sustainable urban environmental management. Social conditions, health conditions and household environmental conditions are the outcome factors of poor economic conditions in the sampled slums. Priority based policy responses were suggested. Thus, slum condition index based approach can be utilized for assessing welfare programmes and relative status in slums, and providing holistic framework for healthy city.