A Study on the Living Conditions among Urban Slum Dwellers of Mumbai

Background: An extreme and rapid expansion of urban population, provision of basic living conditions and facilities is becoming a challenge; especially in slums. This is adversely affecting the health of the people living in such areas. Objective: The study was conducted to determine the living conditions among respondents. Methods: A community-based descriptive study was conducted among 264 slum households in Mumbai from February to March 2018 by interviewing one member from each household using a predesigned and pretested interview schedule. Results: A majority 176 (66.7%) of slum households were living in owned houses; 243 (93%) had cemented housing structures: 233(88.3%) households had one room or multipurpose room; 231(87.5%) had separate kitchen facility; 152 (57.6 %) had ventilators in their houses. Conclusion: The housing conditions and other civic amenities facilities are improved in recent years which is due to better infrastructural policies by urban housing authorities but it's not up to the mark. There is a need to provide proper shelter along with the basic needs like safe drinking water, underground drainage, solid waste disposal etc.in one package that can assure hygienic and habitable conditions to the poor slum dwellers.