# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is more of a slum of hope than despair because of its potential in developing into an economic and social attraction in future years, thus improving its environmental plight as well.

Dharavi has been built for 16 years, and is in the ‘upgrading stage’, approaching assimilation stage where fabric of slums will be improved and thus integrated as normal and legal part of the city. Hence, it just needed more time and government assistance to develop its abundant commercial services and improve sanitation issues. The development of informal sectors based on their own creativity and entrepreneurship, such as pottery, workshops, food and other personalized services, illustrate that the slum dwellers have the capability to make this spontaneous settlement, Dharavi, thrive. Moreover, its present lucrative businesses and export services to Dubai and other parts of the world has already shown a large contribution to the national income of India as it experiences a cash turnover of 700 million a year. Furthermore, as Dharavi’s young slum dwellers are receiving education, it proves that they can acsuccess in acquiring knowledge to break free from poverty cycle, work in secondary sectors in cities to finance family needs or to develop informal sectors through more lucrative and sustainable methods, increase trade and welfare of Dharavi, e.g bring water supply, better sewage system, sanitation (doctors).

However, Dharavi experiences signs of being a slum of despair because it has hundreds of tiny lanes and alleys, even smaller than body width, where more than 1 million people overcrowd, 1 toilet for 1500 people, sewage in drains, experiences sanitation issues and termed as ‘garbage’. Also, as Dharavi is located in the geographical heart and is a prime piece of land sandwiched between two major commuter railway lines, it is inevitable that more profitable businesses that affect the national and global economy take its place.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, with a population of over a million people, will face more problems in the near future. With already little housing space for each family, no proper sewage system and a toilet that is commonly shared among every 15 hundred residents would mean that the slum is not only over populated but also experiencing high pollution level. With such a confined space that house a large number of people, it only helps to promote the spread of any sort of diseases. Furthermore, poorer families will be unable to have proper meals or nutrition which cause their body to be more vulnerable to any sickness which can affect their performance at work. People living in Dharavi are thus forced to get use to such harsh conditions.

Although Dharavi itself is able to generate 700 million a year, it only shows that people living in Dharavi is living in extreme poverty as each person on average live with only $700 a year, which is almost living with $2 a day or less. Many people will be found jobless and they will compete with one another for jobs, often willing to work for a much lower wage. If any of the adult fall sick or are unable to work for long term, the family will suffer miserably as most of them would not be able to afford medical service. This is especially true for larger families.

With redevelopment and rehabilitation taking place, around half of the population will not be eligible for proper housing provided by the governments. This will only cause more problems to the existing slums problems in India because these 50,000 people will move in to other nearby slums, competing for food, water, jobs and space in slums that maybe be already struggling to sustain its own growing population. With the sudden influx of people, it will only cause more despair to the people living in slums.

Even for families that are entitled a housing space may not be living a better life from the expected. This is because many of them lose their jobs when they relocate from Dharavi. And with little or no services and industry located near the new settlement area, it is hard for these people to find a job in a short run. Unless the locals start to set up business there, even so, it will take a long time for enough jobs to be created. Thus, people who managed to be relocated by the government may face even more problems of poverty than those who move into other slums despite better living conditions because they will most likely not have a source of income.

# data[].attributes.body
After watching the video, I think that Dharavi is a slum of despair rather than it being a slum of hope.

The slum covers 445 acres of marshland and is home to approximately 1 million people. 15,000 people have to share 1 toilet with open sewers, narrow dirty lanes between houses, and cramped huts. It is located in the middle of Mumbai and has a large number of manufacturing industries that produce lucrative exports. Most of the slum dwellers produce these products in tiny manufacturing units spread across the slum and are sold in domestic as well as international markets. These industries generate about $700million turnover for Mumbai every year.

Even though most of them have been living in the slum for more than a decade, they're still living in poverty. I believe that one of the reasons is due to the little aid from the government. The profits churned from the small industries are not channeled and redistributed to the slum dwellers in terms of higher incomes for them. Furthermore, if they were to hurt themselves at work or get into an accident while working, they become unemployed, putting their families into greater poverty.

The local authorities of Mumbai plans to redevelop the slums as they see the need to integrate the slum dwellers with the mainstream population of Mumbai. The slums will be demolished to make way for apartments with bigger housing units to relocate the slum dwellers. This will definitely improve their living conditions. However, this will mean financial disaster for businesses located in Dharavi. They are not confident about the future prospects of the the small industries that are thriving in Dharavi at the moment. Many workers are afraid that they will be unable to produce the same amounts of outputs in the new smaller working space. In addition to that, the new factories will be located further away from their new residential area, which makes it more inconvenient for them to go to work.

Moreover, the redevelopment projects will only re-house people who still keep the documents as proof that they have been living in the slums since 1995. This is a problem for many as they do not have the proper documents as evidence. As a result, they will be homeless once the slum have been demolished as they will be forced out of their houses. Furthermore, the project will only be able to house about 57,000 slum dwellers and leave the remaining population to live out of Dharavi. They will thus have to find another slum to live in.

# data[].attributes.body
Situated in the geographical heart of Mumbai, Dharavi slum is a intricate maze with narrow lanes and alleyways turning, twisting, and is home to a million people residing within its 175-hetare area. Its people are poverty-stricken, struggling with making ends meet, yet, are still optimistic. Is Dharavi slum as replete with despair as the authority deems it , or is it shimmering with hope. Taking into consideration the problems it is currently facing,  Dharavi is, in all sense, a slum of despair more than a slum of hope.

It is seen that hope is still ubiquitous in Dharavi as its residents are still keeping up their efforts to maintain their homes by going to work. Their low-skilled labor is indeed a setback, hampering them from participate in better-paying jobs; however, they utilize  their skills to the best of their abilities, such as pottery, construction, recycling (which, unrecognizably, is what shields Mumbai from being drown by tons of waste each day). Hope is also evident in their disappointment when the redevelopment plan was announced. This indicates that they have hoped for a better, more stable future in this slum as it is where they are able to earn a living and actually turn their stricken situation around. Therefore, it is true to a ertain extent that Dharai is a slum of hope.

However, such optimism may not last long, due to the overwhelming, rampant problems that the slum dwellers fae each day, which indicates that Dharai is, by no means, a plae for hope.

Firstly, the slum’s social condition is horrendous. Firstly, their “houses”, made up of temporary, low-quality construction materials, are dilapidated. As space is a luxury, over-crowding often results. A “house” of 6m2 being home to 6 or more people is a common site. There are also the ramshackle makeshift shelters that are unappealing and unsuitable for human settlement. Moreover, sanitation facilities are extremely lacking, such as one single toilet for more than 1500 users, which is worsened by the faulty drainage system. This leads to the degrading health conditions of the slum dwellers, especially weak and physically vulnerable young children. In the hot season, the heat spreads tropical diseases around the slum, threatening the life of many slum dwellers.

Moreover, economically, unemployment and low-paid jobs are common, thus, causing the slum dwellers constant stress and worry about hunger. Labor-intensive tasks also jeopardies the health conditions of workers (such as injuries…), which may greatly reduce their ability to work. Due to the low income, child labor also results as the family cannot afford a living even if all the adults work. Hence, socially and economically, Dharavi is a slum of despair.

Also, environmental conditions of the slum are in peril. Sewage flows freely out of open pipes, human waste is not dealt with properly,… These may cause land, and water pollution that will further degrade the health and environmental conditions of the slum.

The slum’s despair is now given an opportunity to be more ingrained, thanks to the redevelopment plan. The slum rehabilitation threatens to raise homelessness, sine only those with proper documentation of their duration of stay in the slum are granted housing. Less space allocated to each household in the plan also means that their current jobs are to be removed, thus, leading to further unemployment. This plan also reflects the irresponsibility and inclusiveness of the authority and developers sine they are not willing to deal with the problems of slum, but only push Mumbai’s problems to other cities, as movement of the slum dwellers out of a city that has no place for them is an expected outcome.

In a nutshell, despite the robust optimism of the slum dwellers, Dharavi slum depicts more despair than hope.

# data[].attributes.body
With it’s 45 acres of area and 1 million population, Dharavi is more of a slum of despair than a slum of work. This is mainly due to the living conditions of the locals. Although they may be happy with their current condition, without any action done, the city would never improve and remain as a slum.

The low total cash turnover rate of $700 million a year, with it’s million population, signifies that the country is lagging far behind in terms of economical prospects. Their houses are of 2m by 3m, which allows hardly enough walking space for a family of six like the Zabair family. The mother of the household, Neema, earns only 200 rupees a week, which is USD$5 that would be used to feed the entire family. Therefore, the children would have to head out for work after ending their lessons at a public school, despite their young age.

Even with the government’s effort for a redevelopment,  it could lead to other social issues that could cause disharmony among the locals as well. The housing redevelopment that was planned out by architect Mukesh Metah was criticized to cause joblessness after it’s implementation. Because of the large scale redevelopment, many small businesses have to be closed down as they no longer have the freedom of space to carry out their work. The locals can no longer fall back on their humble enterprises as their lack of formal economy skills also restricts them from getting employed and having a higher income.

It is also criticized to cause homelessness. Most households rent the roofs that they have currently, but with the redevelopment, the houses would go back to the original owner who would then benefit, but at the cost of the other households. 57,000 out of the 200,000 families benefit, while the rest are left homeless. Dharavi’s developers had comments, “The rest will have to go. They'll probably settle in another slum, somewhere else.” With the lack of care for those suffering extreme poverty, it is a slum of despair.

In addition, by leaving those without a home to fend for themselves, it could call for another slum to be created and the whole vicious cycle would continue.

In conclusion, Dharavi is a slum of despair because of the many social problems the country is facing. Despite the government’s intention of improving the quality of life in the city, it raises even more issues as they do not empathize well enough with the locals to know what they truly need and what they do not need to have.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, Mumbai, India - In the eyes of the government and progress, sticks out like a sore thumb next to the grandiose of Mumbai, that houses some of the world's most expensive property. Dharavi used to be 445 acres of marshland, but is now what many call home Opinions of Dharavi have been split, some opine Dharavi as a "Slum of Hope", while others see it as a "Slum of Despair".

The living conditions in Dharavi are harsh, with rubbish and waste strewn all over the streets and alley ways. Sewage runs through open drains and there is approximately one toilet for every 1500 people. Diease and viruses can spread like wildfire in the cramped and filthy quarters of Dharavi where hygiene and sanitation are at almost non-existent levels, and in the monsoon rains and the heat of summer, it it transformed into a breeding ground for pests and diseases.

On the surface, Dharavi plays an integral role in ridding the excessive mounts of rubbish from Mumbai's streets by recycling the waste, raking in $700 million annually. Underneath all the prosperity lies a close-knit community that despite the undesirable living conditions, still manage to overlook the shortcomings they have and continue to live each day to the fullest. The people of Dharavi are contented. But Dharavi sits on prime land for re-development, which in the name of progress in one of the world's fastest growing economies, is a must have to allow for more redevelopment and progress.

In a bid to free up the land, the government offers redevelopment packages to the people of Dharavi. The idea of relocating the residents of Dharavi to 250 sq ft apartments may seem like a fair trade-off, and looks good on paper. However, many residents of Dharavi may be left stranded and homeless if they do not possess paperwork confirming their residence in Dharavi since 1996. Thus many would fall through the cracks as they may not have the necessary proof of their residence.

Relocating may not the the most ideal for many as they would lose the land they need to carry out their recycling and manufacturing operations. Thus they lose their home and their livelihood. For others, Dharavi is in their heart and they would not bear to leave the place that has raised them and saw them through their lives.

Therefore, it can be argued that Dharavi is a "Slum of Hope" as it symbolises their unity amidst the chaos and despite the uninhabitable living conditions, it is the beacon of hope for many.

# data[].attributes.body
With reference to the video of Dharavi in Mumbai. Do you think Dharavi is ‘more a slum of hope or slum of despair? Give details and reasons for your perspective.

Dharavi is more a slum of despair, with cramped spaces and dark alleys, it is an extremely unhealthy envronment that the residents reside in. Some sources suggest it is 300,000 to about a million spread over 200 hectares of land, corresponding to an average population density estimate between 1500 and 5000. Due to open-air sewage systems and improper garbage disposal, Dharavi has experienced a long history of epidemics, sometimes with significant loss of lives.  Dysentery epidemics have been common throughout the years and explained with the high population density of Dharavi. It has severe problems with public health, due to the scarcity of toilet facilities, due in turn to the fact that most housing and 90% of the commercial units in Dharavi are illegal, causing many to fall ill and to be unable to work. As of November 2006 there was only one toilet per 1,440 residents in Dharavi. Mahim Creek, a local river, is widely used by local residents for urination and defecation, leading to the spread of contagious diseases. The area also suffers from problems with inadequate drinking supply. With this collation of inadequate sanitation and hygiene, diseases are spread so easily and the residents of the Dharavi slums live in cramped spaces amongst filth and dirt. Furthermore, there is a lack of job opportunities and most live in poverty, earning barely enough to support themselves and their family.

Despite there being a form of government intervention through redevelopment, there are still many people who suffer. There are more people who suffer than there are people who benefit from this form of intervention as the government eyes the value of the land instead of the welfare of the residents of Dharavi. Even with the expansion of the train tracks, several families' houses were simply bulldozed, leaving so many displaced and without shelter, forcing them into vulnerable make-shift shelters without a proper home. There has been significant local opposition to the plans, largely because existing residents are due to receive only 25.0 square metres of land each. Furthermore, only those families who lived in the area before 2000 are slated for resettlement. Concerns have also been raised by residents who fear that some of their small businesses in the "informal" sector may not be relocated under the redevelopment plan. Therefore, even with redevelopment, Dharavi would still be a slum of despair as a huge part of its population would not be entitles to proper housing and will remain displaced, homeless and vulnerable.

In conclusion, Dharavi is more a slum of despair. This is as despite the recycling of plastics, large-scale pottery production, heavy machinery manufacturing and thus lucrative export businesses, it does not contribute to the state of Dharavi. There is the ever-presence of garbage and the lousy disposal of faecal matter, coupled with the cramped spaces of living. All these are the main factors of why the slums are in despair. Widespread diseases can be sparked extremely easily, and even the daily lifestyle is extremely unhealthy and dangerous where children cross busy streets to support the family even barely. Furthermore, the government intervention does not even prioritise the state of the people and instead focus on the value of the land these people reside on. They care not of their welfare and do not do enough to ensure that the residents of Dharavi will be safe and sheltered.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that Daharavi is a slum of hope is more than a slump of despair for those loving in the slum. This is comparing Daharavi to the city area where they would be to be relocated to due to the redevelopment programme. In the video, one of the slum dweller mentioned that she was happy there and they that they have their dignity too. They have their own services, for example, mass made pottery, recycling plastic.There is a lucrative export trade around mumbai. There is a cash turn over of 700million every year.

This is compared to the city area, where they would have a smaller living space, their business will get affected. It will be impossible for them to continue their work and worships and potters will get smaller.After all they have been living there for decades. Moreover, there has to be proof that they have lived there since 1995. Because many do not have the paper, these slum dweller fell between the cracks. Even if they get integrated into the place outside at the outskirts of the city, there will be a large gap between the them and the rich, even those from the working class. Even worse, those who fall through the cracks (this amounts to 200000 people0 would have to be relocated to another slum where they would have to start everything from scratch. Even to india's economy, it would not solve the problem of slums, but may even worsen it.

However, if the government would make the slums legal and use that money for investments to rehouse them to using it to develop that place , it could better help these group of people. If they were granted ownership, there would be a sense of responsibility to improve the place and make it their home.

Therefore, i feel that Daharavi is a place more of hope that of despair.

# data[].attributes.body
At first glance, Dharavi seems to be a slum of despair for it comprises of a population of about 1 million people living in an unsightly area of poor sanitation, improper sewage disposal, poor housing and infrastructure. As mentioned, it is deemed as a "health nightmare". It is a slum located between prime cities and this stark contrast further highlights its state of despair compared to its surroundings. Many families with several children live in a small location where they cook, sleep, study and work in. There is barely enough room to move about. An interviewee even mentioned that they live in "filth". Not only do the adults endure hardship with the measly sum of income they receive, their children often have to work after school and do not get to eat. However, this lifestyle of poverty does not seem to affect their morale. Interviewees have expressed their contentment of their current situation and are not eager to move away from their slums and do not want to live anywhere else.

Despite their passive attitudes towards the poor living conditions of the slum, the government recognizes the need to re-develop the area in order to keep up with other developing countries. This is a form of hope for the citizens as the government seeks to improve their living conditions which would in turn, improve their quality of life. As mentioned, Dharavi is located in the middle of two cities and a railway system, making it a central hub and prime piece of real estate. Therefore, it has a potential to become like the cities surrounding it. Therefore, this can be a justification of the re-development the government is so eager to carry out.

However, this hopeful attitude towards a better future is not echoed by its citizens. This is because when re-development takes place, it would demolish any trace of its history. Furthermore a complete makeover would mean there would be no place for the poor. When the slums are removed, not only would people be ousted from their homes, a complete change in the environment would also mean that current jobs such as pot makers would no longer exist, leaving its people jobless for they do not have the means or skills to take on other jobs that a city might require. When people are ousted from Dharavi, it would mean that another slum would bear the additional burden of accommodating these people. This is because the economic growth of India (12%) does not benefit everyone. It only benefits the richer population. Hence, the actual purpose of re-developing the area is not solely to improve the conditions of the poor but another opportunity for the economy to progress at the expense of the poor.

Therefore, to say that it is a slum of hope or despair is neither entirely true for both the option of re-development or not, would call for sacrifices to be made.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is Asia's largest slum and also one of the largest slum in the World today. It is called home by at least a million people that stays in Mumbai. Despite its poor living conditions and terrible environment, I personally feel that Dharavi is a slum of hope instead of a slum of despair.

In Dharavi itself, as quoted from the video, it is a "city within a city". Dharavi operates like a city itself, with few reliance of the bigger city, Mumbai, surrounding them. There are many small family business and it is especially self-sustainable. The residents in Dharavi, despite living in dirt and constrained space, find ways to live. They do recycling, and pottery making and simply just ways to sustain and keep themselves living. Also, Dharavi plays a big part in recycling thrashes not only in the slums itself, but for Mumbai. Because of their presence, Mumbai can acquire more resources and also a better living condition - cleaner and more spacious.

Besides all the economic activities that people of Dharavi is carrying out, the residents are also happy. Living in a small space, eg a family of 16 people squeezing in a small house (less than 2m x 3m), the residents did complain about the small space. However, they also find the positive points of living in the slum. They are thankful for the short distance to school, the friends and family they have in the slum.

Yes, it is true that Dharavi lies on "Mumbai's geographical heart...a prime piece of real estate". The government sees Dharavi as a slum of despair, as it takes up spaces that can be used for better economic activities for Mumbai. However, by starting the slum rehabilitation, it will result to many residents losing their family businesses and therefore they will face a financial crisis.

All in all, I feel that Dharavi is a slum of hope instead of slum of despair as they do contribute to the main city, Mumbai, through their ways of recycling. Secondly, with the removal of the slums, it will result to many losing their jobs/businesses, which can result to more problems for the government.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, with an estimated population of one million people, is a large slum with many social problems. However, while for the government, the slum may be a hindrance of development, for the residents of the slum, Dharavi is most likely slum of hope.

The slum benefits the people economically. Due to its strategic location in the city area, Dharavi has high accessibility which is extremely beneficial for the small businesses run by the residents of the slum. It also provides spacious areas for some of the economic activities. These businesses include the production and selling of products like plastic, embroidery, pottery. These businesses bring in steady income for many residents of Dharavi. As such, despite the low quality of the slum, most residents still earn a sufficient living to make ends meet. In that sense, Dharavi is indeed a “slum of hope”, at least in the economical sense.

This sense of hope can be further examined if we look at their upward mobility. Since many families have steady income, they can afford to send their children to school, such as the family featured in the video. The fact that children of the slum have access to education means there is hope for them to pursue higher paying jobs than their parents’ in the future and escape poverty. Hence, in terms of upward mobility, there is indeed still hope for the residents of Dharavi.

However, from the government perspective, the slum is indeed a hindrance as it presents tremendous opportunity cost. This opportunity cost is the land occupied by the slum. If the slum is not there, the land will be vacated and available to be developed for more profitable uses: such as for the retail or financial industry. Furthermore, the slum may deter investors from entering Mumbai due to its social problems. The lost investment is another opportunity cost incurred by Mumbai due to the slum. Social problems like illnesses that arise from the poor sanitation in the area are also concerns for the government. Hence, Dharavi is indeed a “slum of despairt” from the government perspective.

In short, whether Dharavi is a slum of hope or a slum of despair depends on the perspective. Thus, if the government wants to redevelop the area, they have to be cautious such that they will not make the lives of the slum residents worse off.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, with an estimated population of one million people, is a large slum with many social problems. However, while for the government, the slum may be a hindrance of development, for the residents of the slum, Dharavi is most likely slum of hope.

The slum benefits the people economically. Due to its strategic location in the city area, Dharavi has high accessibility which is extremely beneficial for the small businesses run by the residents of the slum. It also provides spacious areas for some of the economic activities. These businesses include the production and selling of products like plastic, embroidery, pottery. These businesses bring in steady income for many residents of Dharavi. As such, despite the low quality of the slum, most residents still earn a sufficient living to make ends meet. In that sense, Dharavi is indeed a “slum of hope”, at least in the economical sense.

This sense of hope can be further examined if we look at their upward mobility. Since many families have steady income, they can afford to send their children to school, such as the family featured in the video. The fact that children of the slum have access to education means there is hope for them to pursue higher paying jobs than their parents’ in the future and escape poverty. Hence, in terms of upward mobility, there is indeed still hope for the residents of Dharavi.

However, from the government perspective, the slum is indeed a hindrance as it presents tremendous opportunity cost. This opportunity cost is the land occupied by the slum. If the slum is not there, the land will be vacated and available to be developed for more profitable uses: such as for the retail or financial industry. Furthermore, the slum may deter investors from entering Mumbai due to its social problems. The lost investment is another opportunity cost incurred by Mumbai due to the slum. Social problems like illnesses that arise from the poor sanitation in the area are also concerns for the government. Hence, Dharavi is indeed a “slum of despairt” from the government perspective.

In short, whether Dharavi is a slum of hope or a slum of despair depends on the perspective. Thus, if the government wants to redevelop the area, they have to be cautious such that they will not make the lives of the slum residents worse off.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, with an estimated population of one million people, is a large slum with many social problems. However, while for the government, the slum may be a hindrance of development, for the residents of the slum, Dharavi is most likely slum of hope.

The slum benefits the people economically. Due to its strategic location in the city area, Dharavi has high accessibility which is extremely beneficial for the small businesses run by the residents of the slum. It also provides spacious areas for some of the economic activities. These businesses include the production and selling of products like plastic, embroidery, pottery. These businesses bring in steady income for many residents of Dharavi. As such, despite the low quality of the slum, most residents still earn a sufficient living to make ends meet. In that sense, Dharavi is indeed a “slum of hope”, at least in the economical sense.

This sense of hope can be further examined if we look at their upward mobility. Since many families have steady income, they can afford to send their children to school, such as the family featured in the video. The fact that children of the slum have access to education means there is hope for them to pursue higher paying jobs than their parents’ in the future and escape poverty. Hence, in terms of upward mobility, there is indeed still hope for the residents of Dharavi.

However, from the government perspective, the slum is indeed a hindrance as it presents tremendous opportunity cost. This opportunity cost is the land occupied by the slum. If the slum is not there, the land will be vacated and available to be developed for more profitable uses: such as for the retail or financial industry. Furthermore, the slum may deter investors from entering Mumbai due to its social problems. The lost investment is another opportunity cost incurred by Mumbai due to the slum. Social problems like illnesses that arise from the poor sanitation in the area are also concerns for the government. Hence, Dharavi is indeed a “slum of despairt” from the government perspective.

In short, whether Dharavi is a slum of hope or a slum of despair depends on the perspective. Thus, if the government wants to redevelop the area, they have to be cautious such that they will not make the lives of the slum residents worse off.

# data[].attributes.body
The infamous Dharavi slum spans 475 square acres and is home to a population of one million Indians. Despite the government's planned efforts to redevelop the area and reintegrate Dharavi's inhabitants into the mainstream population, its state in the presence and the foreseeable future cannot be a source for much optimism.

Despite the apparently appalling living conditions in Dharavi (sewage that drains in the open, ridiculously low toilet numbers to population ratio, etc...), the slum dwellers themselves clearly find their lives quite tolerable. Limited space and horrendous sanitation do not seem to have much impact on the residents' lives. There are still economic activities that generate meager yet sustainable income. Some may choose to provide meals for their fellow dwellers, while others work in manufacturing or producing pottery. Children still go to school and study at home, and the smiles have not vanished from their faces.

Yet, I still believe that the Dharavi slum is more a slum of despair than hope. Boasting an annual revenue of $700 million from its economic activities, Dharavi seems to be a sprouting urban area preparing itself for a magnificent transformation. However, consider that there are more than a million dwellers within the area. Each resident then has to sustain himself with less than $700 a year, or less than $2 a day. Can there really be much room for economic development?

While the urban plans to retake the Dharavi slum for development may bring hope to some households, they tend to be a source for apprehension and despair. The authority plans to provide a 225-square-feet apartment for each of 50,000 families. This means that a vast number of Dharavi's residents will not get proper housing once the slum has been cleared. They may not even prove eligible for the program to begin with: to qualify for such compensation, they have to prove that they have resided within the area since 1995. Most people do not keep any documents that prove their residence despite having lived there for years on end. Once the slum has been razed to the ground, they will have to move somewhere else; and because they lack the financial means to build any forms of conventional housing, they would gather in masses and form more slums. It would be quite sanguine to assume that life for them will be equally bad: once displaced, the usual economic activities they undertake to sustain themselves will be disrupted as well. For example, the pottery plants owners will not be able to get the same amount of space necessary for his activities.

The Dharavi slum dwellers, or at least a very great many of them, seem to be trapped in a vicious circle that only leads to despair. Therefore, in the near future, I cannot be optimistic about Dharavi

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, Mumbai, is more a slum of hope than a slum of despair.

It is undeniable that Dharavi currently faces a lot of economic and social problems which are severe and difficult to solve. However, with the announcement of the redevelopment plans by the government to improve conditions of the slum, residents in Dharavi will soon be able to enjoy better standards of living there.

Dharavi is known to be one of the largest slums in the world. It has severe problems with public health, due to the scarcity of toilet facilities, due in turn to the fact that most housing and 90% of the commercial units in Dharavi are illegal. There is only one toilet per 1,440 residents in Dharavi. Mahim Creek, a local river, is widely used by local residents for urination and defecation, leading to the spread of contagious diseases. The area also suffers from problems with inadequate drinking water supply. Locals residents earn a meagre salary from their traditional pottery and textile production and recycling jobs and they struggle to make ends meet. Life is indeed very tough for locals living in the slums.

With the redevelopment plans, better housing, schools and roads will be build for the local residents and this will definitely improve their standard of living. Certainly, the redevelopment plans are not without limitations. There has been significant local opposition to the plans, largely because existing residents are due to receive only 25.0 square metres (269 sq ft) of land each. 225 square metres housing are offered to locals, but not all are eligible for them. This puts families who are not eligible for these houses at a disadvantage.

Nonetheless, the government has taken the first step to try to redevelop Dharavi. As long as the first step is taken, there is hope for Dharavi to improve its social economical situation. At the same time, the government should constantly reflect on its plans and minimise the negative implications of their plans on the local residents.

# data[].attributes.body
In the city of Mumbai lies the dismal expanse of Dharavi. Some people call it an embarrassing eyesore in the middle of the city where some properties are one of the most expensive the world. Its residents, though, call it home. Dharavi is often called the 'largest slum of Asia', and true enough, large it is. Over 1 million people are residents in this slum. Lying in the heart of Mumbai city, Dharavi is a slum bustling with people and activity. It is built on 445acres of what was once boggy marshland. In this overcrowded slum, there is only 1 toilet to 1500 people. Sewage runs through open drains, and during certain seasons, the slum becomes a 'health nightmare'. The slum however, plays a large role in recycling in Mumbai. It is said that without Dharavi, Mumbai would be a city full of trash. Heavy machinery manufacturing and pottery production also occurs here. It is my stand that Dharavi is indeed a slum of despair more than a slum of hope, especially in the coming years as the goverment is planning a major redevelopment project.

Firstly, Dharavi sits on a prime piece of land, which is in between 2 major commuter railway lines. The physical location of Dharavi is a big plus point for the goverment which wishes to convert it into a more productive piece of land instead of considering the losses of the businesses within the slum itself. The spokesman for the redevelopment project asserts that government laws have to be adhered to, which insist that only residents of Dharavi for a long time will be able to reside in the new 225sq ft apartments it is about to build. This makes up about 57,000 people, out of the 1million population.

This would lead to more problems, as highlighted by sociologists. People unable to live in the newly built apartments, will eventually create new slums again. This is making the situation worse. Apart from trying to redevelop a slum, more slums will start appearing in the long run. Moreover, although the government insists that the slum dwellers who run businesses will get back the same land to continue, there will be a cut in their productivity any way.

Secondly, Dharavi is known for its recycling and production, where businesses are currently going well. The people of Dharavi are also happy with what they are doing. However, their fate is about to change with the redevelopment project. With the dsiplacement of a large population, these people will no longer have a place to call their home. They are satisfied with their lives here, their location and lifestyles. For example, the Zubir family, where the little girl says she is happy with how her school is near, and she has all her friends nearby. The people behind the pottery production sadly admit that they will no longer get to run their business as how well it is going currently. Businesses will suffer more and eventually be lost as the redevelopment takes place. Thus, the initial recycling and production of Dharavi will suffer great losses as it will be impossible to continue their business.

This slum is indeed a slum of despair, as nothing can be done to stop the government with its laws and projects. The geographical location is probably the main factor resulting in its situation at the moment. Coupled with health risks, and abhorent sanitation facilities, the nature of the slum itself is declining. Despite the happiness of the people where they are, the government is almost always looking for ways to maximise the use of the land, rather than tend to the needs of the people. These poor slum dwellers will have to wait for the day the bulldozers arrive, and until then, they will remain in the darkness.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi - home to 1 million residents in Mumbai, is considered to be the largest slum in Asia. Despite their constricted land space, poor sanitation and housing, Dharavi remains a unique settlement. It has thriving, self-sustainable factories that involve recycling, and the manufacturing of pottery and plastic. The annual turnover of business here is estimated to be more than $650m (£350m) a year.

However, due to its strategic location – which is in the middle of India’s financial capital Mumbai, the state government has plans to redevelop Dharavi and transform it into a modern city with proper housing, and infrastructure.

Redevelopers have claimed that the businesses will still be given new land to continue their business, and this could be due to their intentions in gaining from the profit they earn. Taxation is also likely to increase due to the high financial capital invested in the redevelopment project. Thus, this could also translate into a greater burden on the various firms, as they would have to pay more for higher rental fees in the new redeveloped city, as well as for the taxes.

Moreover, the government would only offer a place to those who can prove that they have lived in Dharavi since 1995, and many of them lack the credentials or documents to prove their duration of stay. This means that the residents would eventually lose their homes and businesses, and more importantly, move into a new slum in order to sustain their living in the city. If this were to happen, India would continue to face the problems of existing slums and redevelopment projects would have to be implemented continually. This cycle would persist as long as the government fails to

relocate the residents properly and take into account of their social welfare.

# data[].attributes.body
More than half of the population of India live in slams. Even though the country has

one of the highest economic growth, it has not flowed down to the poor. Located in

the heart of Mumbai, the Dharavi slum is like a city within a city. It covered 445 acres of what was previous boggy marshland and is a home to an estimate 1 Million people. There is only one toilet per 15000 residents. This indicates a lack of proper sanitation. Sewage in the slums run through open drains which causes a lot of health issues

especially during the monsoon season caused by the wide spread of diseases.

Despite the low level of standard of living, residence say that are happy with where and they maintain a quiet dignity of their tiny home. They like it here as they have all lived there for a long time. The children grew up in the area and this is where all their friends are. The entire community is tightly knitted. As quoted “I don’t want to live anywhere else...people help each other in the neighbourhood”. The slam is a hive of activity providing Mumbai with an essential recycling service. In Dharavi, there are all kinds of lucrative services that can be found other than the recycling business. In fact, there is a cash turnover of around $700 million per year. Without Dharavi and its recycling business, it is said that Mumbai would be plummet in a heap of garbage. Thus to the people, their slum is seen as hope as they support one another.

However, I feel that Dharavi slum is more of a slum of despair especially with the

Indian’s government’s decision to have Dharavi undergo a slum re-habitation program. This is because the Dharavi slum sits on a prime piece of land, where it is sandwiched between two major commuter railway lines.

Although the government plans to give each family residing there a  225 square foot apartment as a replacement this new plan does not necessary help the people living in the slums. Though to some, the new apartment provides a bigger space, but to others it smaller than their current ones although the government says that similar amount of space was allocated to them (with only 15% cut). This spells out financial disasters for the business there such as the potter living there. This redevelopment process would wind up their business as since they will be allocated lesser space than their current ones, it make it impossible for them to continue their work. These business will have to relocate a long way away on the outskirts. Besides the lessen amount of space, the new apartments are only given to those who have lived in the slums since 1995. Thousands would fall through the cracks as a result as they do not have the pieces of paper to prove how long they have stayed there. Only 57 thousand can obtain the free housing out of the 200 thousand families that lives in the area. Thus redevelopment would force them out of their homes and they would have no where else to go to.

This redevelopment could worsen the current Dharavi slum problems as the displaced people would simply created another slum. The people in Dharavi are now just “simply waiting for the bulldozers to arrive”. When that happens, only God will know where they would go and what they would do.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is “a village in the middle of the city”, even a centre for large scale businesses. Within the 455 acres of land that was previously unused marshland, the Dharavi slum is home to an estimated 1 million people with poor living conditions such as confined spaces and open drains for sewage systems. Although the people in Dharavi are content with what they call home, I feel that Dharavi is more a slum of despair than a slum of hope.

Dharavi may be considered as a slum of hope due to how it satisfies the people’s social, economic and physical needs. With the familiarity of their neighbours and having all their friends in the slums, residents feel a sense of community and belonging. The slum also serves as a platform for business and income, as seen from the catering services provided by the mother of 4 and on a larger scale, the heavy machine manufacturing, mass pottery making and plastic recycling. Plastic crushing machines are even exported to places like Dubai. Furthermore, contradictory to their perceived living conditions, some claim that they have more space in the slum than they would in the flats from the redevelopment package for their business. Hence, the residents of Dharavi are totally independent and do not need to rely on the government for help. They even contribute to Mumbai’s economy with their cash turnover of 700 million dollars a year. They can thus live a relatively income-stable life with their sustainable businesses and they are satisfied with what they have. Thus, Dharavi may be a slum of hope since residents believe that they have “everything” to live for.

However, Dharavi is ultimately a slum of despair due to the poor living conditions that cannot be ignored and the uncertainty of their future. There is only 1 toilet for every 1500 residents, making the sewage a “health nightmare”, especially during the monsoon period. The close vicinity of their waste disposal makes the people susceptible to illnesses, such as waterborne diseases like cholera. Moreover, the squeezy homes make a poor home for large families, which can make it an unconducive environment for activities like studying and sleeping. Although there is a promise of redevelopment and hence new homes with improved conditions, this only creates more stress on the people due to the eligibility prerequisite. Only people who have been slum residents since 1995 get to shifted in the redevelopment package. The problem is that the people lack the paper documents to prove it, causing anxiety as the people are unsure if they get to have the promised new homes. Furthermore, there is uncertainty in whether they will be provided temporal homes in the meantime. Henceforth, Dharavi is more of a slum of despair than a slum of hope due to their unhealthy living conditions and their uncertain future.

# data[].attributes.body
Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, lies right in the heart of India's financial capital, Mumbai. Some people may call the Dharavi slum an embarrassing eyesore right smack in the middle of India’s financial capital but it residents call it their home. Dharavi houses a teeming slum of one million souls, where as many as 18,000 people crowd into a single acre (0.4 hectares), and sharing only 1 bathroom. Dharavi’s focuses on heavy machinery and manufacturing, with many small scaled enterprises that provides some form of financial aid for the residents living there. As Even in the smallest of rooms, there is usually a cooking gas stove and continuous electricity. Even though Dharavi is a large slum plagued with problems, I believe that it is more of a slum of hope rather than despair with the appropriate help from India’s government.

In a city such as Mumbai, where the cost of rental is one of the highest in the world, Dharavi provides a cheaper alternative for people who wants to work in Mumbai to earn a living. Within the slum itself, the residents are working in various small scaled enterprises, such as cooking for workers nearby, pottery and even plastic recycling businesses. In Dharavi nothing is considered garbage. Such small businesses enables the residents to earn a meagre source of income to keep themselves alive. Dharavi is hence seen as a source of financial hope to the residents. If the government tries to redevelop Dharavi, these people with the wrong sets of skills to continue living in such a developed city would be displaced out and hence cutting off their source of income. Even though it may seem that Dharavi can function as a “city”/village by itself with all these businesses, there is only so much that a slum can grow. Furthermore, in slums, the sanitation is extremely bad. In Dharavi, 15000 people have to share one toilet and the worse situation happen during heavy monsoon seasons and summer. The heat and the huge amount of water collected during monsoonal seasons can cause contagious diseases to spread around the slum rapidly. Furthermore, in such a modern, developed world today, such businesses will soon be taken over by machinery and the workers will lose their jobs. Hence, Dharavi might not be self-sustainable in the long run.

However, it is evident that the community in Dharavi is very tight-knitted. As quoted from the little girl in the video saying, “I like to stay here. My friends are all here. The neighbours help each other.” The residents have been living in the slum for as long as 16 years and have bonded closely with one another, helping each other in need. Compared to the bustling cities in the world, where everyone works and move at a fast paced speed, it is inevitable that urban dwellers do not encompass that much of a communal spirit as those of the slum dwellers. Furthermore, Dharavi’s recycling and small businesses are what keeps Mumbai going. Dharavi is located between Mumbai's two main suburban rail lines, most people find it convenient for work. Situated in such a strategic location, it is very easy for Dharavi to blossom into a bustling city in the heart of Mumbai. With the appropriate help from the government, but not relocating most of the residents into the outskirts of the city where they might be living a worse life than that in Dharavi, I believe that Dharavi will be able to improve its health and living standards, giving every resident in Dharavi a chance to live a better life in the heart of Mumbai.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is one of the largest slums in the world.

The slum grew in part because of expulsion of factories and residents from peninsular city center by colonial government, and from rural poor migrating into urban Mumbai.It is currently a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, diverse settlement. Poor sanitation. monsoon rain is a nightmare to its residents as people may suffer disease result from the pollution and if they fall sick, it is hard for them to afford the medical bills which put enormous burden on the family. Usually, many people live in one small house. The male is often the main dependent for financial support in the family and if he is not able to work due to sickness, the whole family may just suffer.

However, despite all the problems ,it still holds a large amount of informal business such recycling which create a lot of money for its people and boost the economy. In the slum, people live on small businesses which help them to earn enough money to sustain themselves. Schools are also available to ensure literacy among people. The redevelopment of Dharavi may help to improve the living environment of people by moving them well-built housings. However, small businesses such as traditional pottery making may face the worry that their space may be taken up by government and loss their business. Furthermore, manufacturing industry which are moved further away from their source of customer earn less profits, hinder people’s living as a result.

But still, the strong bond present between people living the slums gives them hope for the future and motivation to make efforts to make a better living for themselves. Hence, Dharavi is more of a slum than a slum of disaster.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, Mumbai, is named one of the least glamorous destinations in the world due to its poor physical, social and environmental conditions. In face with these problems, the government calls for a redevelopment of the slum. This in itself contains many loopholes as well. The whole slew of problems that Dharavi faces and the pessimistic future that it holds compel me to regard it as a slum of despair.

Dharavi faces very poor sanitation and overcrowding issues. There is only one toilet for 1500 residents and the sewage runs through open drains. This highly increases the risk of illnesses and death numbers. Every family is constrained to only a small amount of space to live. The best home is merely a 2mx3m room that supports six family members.

Pottery and plastic recycling have helped to generate income for many people in the slum. However, this does not apply to the whole Dharavi population. As seen in the documentary, a mother cooks for the workers at a nearby factory just to earn a meagre sum of 200 rupees (US$5) a week, which is barely enough to feed the family.

The strictly imposed redevelopment project further adds on the stress of the people. The attractive offer of giving each family a new 225sq foot apartment only extends to 5700 families, out of the 300,000 families present in the slum. Families not only have to fight for the limited houses, but also the eligibility to get it – they have to prove that they have lived in Dharavi for at least 20 years. Otherwise, these people will be homeless and would have to either find another slum or build another one, resulting in a never-ending cycle of despair.

Hence, even the redevelopment project, set up to solve the problems, is unsustainable due to the government’s selfish monetary motives. Dharavi will thus, remain as a slum of despair, unless a miracle occurs.

# data[].attributes.body
Whether Dharavi is a slum of hope or despair will be based on the opportunities and threats the area possess to the people residing there. The slum located in India is home to about a million people in 445 acres of land. Many people had been residing there for decades and earn a livelihood there.

Dharavi may be considered a slum of despair to outsiders, especially foreigners from developed countries. The video stated that it lacks adequate sanitation facilities and the region is highly cramped. It was mentioned that 1500 people share a proper toilet and sewage runs through the drains in the middle of the city. During the monsoon or hot summer seasons, diseases were widespread Also, the living space for people is really tiny, 6 family members were seen to be sharing a room 2m x 3m wide. This shows that the living conditions in Dharavi is really terrible as it lacks many facilities for the people there. Dharavi is also a threat to development as it lies in a prime estate between railway lines.

Therefore, Dharavi may be considered as a slum of despair.

However, Dharavi may also be considered as a slum of hope for the people residing there due to their livelihood and attitudes.

Firstly, Dharavi is shown to be a major recycling town that helps to recycle wastes in Mumbai. A businessmen in the video is also proudly mentioning about how his plastic recycling machinery were exported to countries like Dubai. The video shows Dharavi as a busy city with bustling streets of people delivering goods, crashing plastic and making potteries. This shows that there are employment opportunities for the people there that allows them to earn a livelihood.

Secondly, there is a sense of community and belonging in Dharavi. People have been residing in that area for a long time. When interviewed, children said that they enjoy staying in Dharavi as their schools are nearby and they have friends there. A woman mentioned that people help each other out and she will like to continue to stay in Dharavi with her family.

Therefore, Dharavi may be considered as a slum of hope especially to people who have set up homes and established businesses there.

In conclusion, I feel that Dharavi is a slum of despair. If Dharavi do not undergo necessary improvements or changes, the threats it possess will bring down the opportunities provided by the area.

# data[].attributes.body
I feel that Dharavi is more of a slum of hope than
a slum of despair.

There is no doubt that the 1 million people living in Dharavi are living in very harsh conditions, for example, having to share a toilet for every 15 000 residents and crammed alleys where some are no wider than thewidth of one’s body. The video also shows a family of six living in a tiny room of less than 2 meters by 3 meters, and sewage runs in open drains giving rise to many heath concerns. The mere thought of having to carry out one’s daily activities in these appalling conditions may immediately cause us to declare that Dharaviis a slum of despair. However, we must acknowledge that the tight knitted bonds between the residents of the slums as well as the citizens’ engagement in commercial activities outweigh the harsh living conditions, proving my stand that Dharavi is a slum of hope.

The residents in Dharavi who were featured in the video all said that even though life was hard for them, they were happy with their life as at least they were able to maintain their dignity. The children of the Zabair family interviewed also expressed their love for the environment that they live in. Dharavi also has a commercial sector whereby activities like heavy machinery manufacturing, making pottery, as well as large-scale recycling of plastic contributes to the economy. Even the Zabair family also engage in some form of work by cooking for the factory workers in return for a small sum of 200 rupees. These activities may seem insignificant and may pale in comparison to other bigger businesses, but the residents of Dharavi make the best out of their circumstances. If the residents were not even willing to work, then Dharavi can be said to be a slum of despair. However, the residents are doing what they can within their limited means even if it means engaging in less popular jobs like handling rubbish. Thus, I feel that the strong sense of
community spirit as well as the amount of effort put in by the residents of Dharavi enables me to conclude that Dharavi is a slum of hope.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is Asia's largest slum that lies between the city of Mumbai, covering 440 acres that was once marshland. Half of India's population live in slums and it is a common sight within India. Despite the dismal situations within the slum of Dharavi, I believe that Dharavi is a slum of hope more than a slum of despair.

Dharavi in itself is a self-sustaining slum that has propped up businesses, employment and strengthened relationships between many people throughout their difficult life. In spite of all the challenges that they face, the recycle, innovate and help each other to prosper together as a community. The economic activity within Dharavi has a large variety of manufacturing and service industry that serves as an important factor in India's economy. Furthermore, the agglomeration of economic activites make it extremely convenient for the Dharavi people to get the goods and services that the require.

Despite harsh conditions and circumstances, yet they are still able to make ends meet. I think that should the government recognize that the people in Dharavi can be used to boost India's economy and offer to help them out of poverty, India would prosper at a much larger rate.

Through the government's eyes, the Dharavi is seen as a slum of despair. Though environmental conditions are not that desirable and are filled with overcrowding and pollution, the human spirit of the Dharavi community remain strong. For the governemnt's redevelopment plan to be truly sustainable, they should equip the residents with skills that are useful for them to make their own living and for it to be self-sustaining. It is ironic that the government aims for the redevelopment plan to be self-sustaining while they themselves are putting minimum effort into the project.

Should the government redevelop the land, it would also cause the movement of many people into the city areas or in slums.

Thus, i believe that Dharavi is a beacon of hope as they are already sustaining themselves amidst the uncomfortable living conditions and should the government focus on the people instead, Dharavi can act as a 'slum of hope' to India's economy.

# data[].attributes.body
A 175-hectare maze of impenetrable dark alleys and corrugated shacks, Dharavi swarms with more than a million residents. It vividly portrays a poverty-driven population in an unhealthy environment, and a district rife with crime and vice. It could be a slum of hope because there is certain manufacturing industries supporting their income, and government is also trying to integrate the slums into the main stream through slum redevelopment plan. However, the people there suffer social problems like poor sanitation and the effectiveness of the redevelopment plan is questionable, does the plan benefit all the people who live in Dharavi slums? The answer is almost certainly no. In fact, due to the government intervention, more people in Dharavi slums suffer than those who benefit from the redevelopment plan. In my opinion, the Dharavi slums is more a slum of despair rather than slum of hope.

Dharavi is slum of despair because of the severe social problems that people there have to suffer. Firstly, poor sanitation. During monsoon seasons, it is the health nightmare. Water- borne diseases prevail then. Besides, on average, there is only one toilet for every 50 families. How inconvenient that would be. Secondly, the overcrowding surely degrade people's standard of living. One example would be the Isbel family, of which six members in the family have to live in one small room. Her husband was unwell due to the poor sanitation, she has to cook to make a living with income of only five dollars per week. Her children in order to help support the family has to deliver her cook to and fro the slums, this leads to my third point, the children of young generation also have to help make a living, they could not study properly, which is even harder for them to break free from the vicious cycle" People are poor---> they do not have proper sanitation--->therefore their health degrades--->they cannot work to make a living--->they continue to be poor." This implies the suffering life of people who live in Dharavi slums.

On the other hand, it could be slum of hope due to the redevelopment programme of the government. In this plan, government offer 50,000 families 225 square foot apartment each. So that they could live in better sanitation and this might help them to start a better life.

However, the government intervention is not without flaws. Even though 50,000 families can get new apartment, there are 200,000 families who are not this lucky. They have to move out of the place they are living and now they do not have place to live, so they will continue to live in new slums that they create, so in that sense, the slum problems is not solved. Besides, the redevelopment brings business disaster to the people there. The manufacturing industry could not thrive as before due to the fact that they are relocated further away on the outskirt, which there are fewer people and as a result, they have less profit to earn. Furthermore, the relocation provided them with 10-20% space less than what their industries used to occupy. This certianly hinders the expansion of their industries, in turn threatening their income, and therefore, they might still be trapped in poverty.

In conclusion, the ineffectiveness and insufficiency of the government intervention does not make the Dharavi slums a hope to the people. In order to achieve the aim of the redevelopment, government should prioritise the standard of living of people over profit coming from the landuse, and more sufficient and suitable redevelopment plan is needed for the Dharavi slums to be the hope for the Mumbai people.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is one of the largest slum across Asia, covering about 445 acres of once what used to be marshlands and home to about 1 million people. There is only 1 toilet to serve every 15000 families and there are sewage systems running through in the middle of the city. The fact that it lies on a prime piece of real estate between 2 suburban railway lines prompted the government to carry out a redevelopment and rehabilitation plan to turn the slum into proper housing, schools, parks and roads. However, in my opinion, even though the physical living conditions for the people are sub-standard, it still remains more of a slum of hope rather than a slum of despair due to its thriving informal economic sector.

There are many plans being created to address the poor living conditions and sanitation by giving each household an apartment of 225 feet. Even though this may look good on the surface, there is an underlying issue that the space will not be allocated to every single household as they will have to submit documents in order to prove that they have been living in Dharavi since 1995. This would mean that many families which are unable to submit the necessary paperwork in order to be eligible for the problem will fall through the cracks and be displaced out of their homes. About an estimated 140 thousand families will be forced to move out and because they lack the financial means to purchase a decent living space, they then again build slums using the meagre materials they possess. This is inevitably mean that their living conditions would then worsen and the slum problems would then turn more severe, stranding more people deeper into the vicious cycle of poverty.

Furthermore, the plans to eradicate the slums where many factories and informal sectors are located at would mean that many people will lose their only source of livelihood. Businesses will be reallocated to the outskirts of the city and this would result in the lessening of their consumer crowds, affecting their business negatively. Furthermore, factories which requires large working space such as recycling plants and pottery factories will be affected, causing their business to go downhill. The removal of slums would then indirectly cause their income to drop, lowering their standard of living.

Hence, Dharavi is more of a slum of hope rather than a slum of despair due to the fact that the people are very dependent on the businesses being set up there and they are actually happy and contented about their living conditions even though there might be a lot of hardships being presented right in front of their eyes. By transforming Dharavi into a compartmentalized space for everyone, a substantial amount of people will be affected by this change and more so in the negative aspect.

# data[].attributes.body
At the heart of the city - surrounded by posh, luxurious skyscrapers - is Asia's largest slum, Dharavi. It spreads over 525 acres (212 hectares) and is home to more than a million people.

Dharavi may seem like any other: full of dirt, filth and sewage, but what maybe an eyesore for most of the city's residents is also a recycling marvel.

I think that Dharavi is more of a slum of hope. Tough it is to find a self sustainable community in today's world. but it is even harder to find a slum which is self sustainable, providing both income and livelihood for the people. the businesses of recycling, pottery making, etc, are all good signs that the community can grow stronger. However, there is only so much that the slum dwellers can do. In the modern world today, where technology and society progresses, it is difficult for the slum dwellers to continue the same practice in time to come. This is because of the advancements made that will soon make the businesses in dharavi to be obsolete, not needed. the slum itself may be self sustainable, but in the long run, its is tough to tell if the community can carry on doing so.

However, the area is still a slum of hope. (but only with the government), if the government is willing to step in and solve the slum issue in a cautious manner, the slum dwellers will be given an opportunity to break out of the poverty cycle. Even more so, the community can turn into an area that participates actively in the economy. Thus not only will the government achieve their goals of economic growth, the people in dharavi would also be able to improve their living standards.

That being said, the conditions in Dharavi are still bad as it is, the government does not seem to care much about the livelihood of the people there. However the community seems to be strong in that area, and this can help them to survive for a period of time. but the question lies in how long the community will be able to sustain itself till it falls into the hands of rapid growth and ignorant authorities.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is Asia’s largest slum, located in Mumbai and home to an estimated one million people. Being merely four hundred and fourty-five acres, narrow alleyways make movement very restrictive for the countless slum dwellers. Sanitation is poor as only one toilet is available for every fifteen hundred residents. Furthermore, sewage runs through open drains.

Despite its poor living and sanitization conditions, the people manage to make a living for themselves through recycling, heavy machinery and pottery making. Such goods produced are then exported to the world to such countries like Dubai. With such products, the Dharavi slum is able to make a total of US$700 million dollars per year. Furthermore, without Dharavi , Mumbai would be too overwhelmed with the rubbish it accumulates daily.

Though it seems like the Dharavi slum earns a lot of money, it is surprising that each dweller only lives on US$5 per day. This shows that the Mumbai government is not treating the Dharavi dwellers fairly by taking its profits and causing them to struggle with minimal wages.

The Mumbai government has also decided to embark on its Dharavi redevelopment plan, which is to give each family a 225 square foot apartment. This is to integrate the slum streets with the mainstream life of Mumbai by providing sustainable redevelopments and rehabilitation for the villagers.

Though, in the eyes of many redevelopers this may seem like a golden opportunity for a country’s development, to many of the Dharavi dwellers it is a nightmare. Businesses such as pottery making that require larger space areas to produce goods will have their space for business cut down due to the restraints of the new apartments. Hence, many businesses such as these will be forced to shut down.

Another problem of this redevelopment plan is that the dwellers must verify with a certificate that they have been living in Dharavi since 1995. But many residents do not have this proof and hence only 57000 families get the free housing.

Ultimately, Dharavi dwellers are reluctant to moving as their family and friends have grown up beside them in the slum with them. Hence, a sense of belonging has been formed.

Hence, it is right to say that Dharavi is more of a slum of hope. Its residents believe that despite the cramped spaces and poor health conditions, Dharavi is home to them. Such sense of community is inspiring to many as it shows their resilience to persevere in their daily hard work to earn what is just enough for their families.

With such a positive outlook onto life, where they do not want to accept the government’s help, it shows that they have hope. If the country were to take a more agreeable approach of slowly integrating them into Mumbai’s mainstream society, the idea of removing poverty would be a more realistic dream.

# data[].attributes.body
The Dharavi slum, located in the heart of Mumbai, covers 445 acres of land and has a population of 1 million people. Despite the poor living conditions and sanitation in Dharavi slum, I believe that it is a 'more a slum of hope'.

With only one toilet for every 15 hundred residents and the inappropriate disposal of sewage into open drains, the sanitation in the slum is evidently poor. Families also have to suffer from poor living conditions as they live in cramped houses. As shown in the video, a family of six has to live in one tiny room of less than 2 metres by 3 metres which makes it uncomfortable for them. Although families have to reside in areas of such poor conditions, they continue to have a positive attitude towards life and are satisfied with what they have because of the precious friendships made and the care for one another in the neighbourhood.

In addition, the slum dwellers also engage in economic activities such as heavy machinery manufacturing, pottery production and recycling of plastics. These activities can also create lucrative export businesses whereby the plastic crushing machines, produced in the slum, are being exported to Dubai and other parts of the world. Despite Dharavi being a slum, it is capable of generating up $700 million dollars a year. Moreover, the importance of the recycling activities in Dharavi is so significant that without them, Mumbai would probably disappear.

In conclusion, Dharavi is more a slum of hope because of the strong community spirit and its capability to generate a substantial amount of money with its economic activities. In addition, the government's plan to redevelop the slum further portray Dharavi as a slum of hope and great potential.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, covering 440 acres of land and located between two major suburban railway lines in Mumbai, is one of Asia's largest slums. It is home to 1 million people currently. Looking at the prospects of Dharavi, it is a slum of "despair" rather than hope.

Granted that it has a commercial area that has a turnover of $700 million due to a lucrative export business, it is not stated in the video how much of these profits to the country actually return back to the people of Dharavi. What is stated in the video is that families such as the one interviewed, live on an average income of 200 rupees per day and usually consist of about 6 people. The low income of families is a large indicator of the poverty that they are struggling with as it is not enough to sustain families on.

Along with this low income, the people of Dharavi live in congested spaces which are separated by alleys that are only a bodywidth wide. This congestion hints at low standards of living for the people. Furthermore, there is only 1 toilet to 1500 people indicating the low sanitation facilities in the country. To worsen this situation, sewers are left open and in monsoon periods where temperatures and rainfall is high, there is a high probability of diseases passing rapidly among people from these poor environmental conditions. Taking in consideration the income earned by families, there is little money for any form of treatment for individuals who fall sick as well. Therefore, there are poor prospects for those living in the Dharavi slum.

One reason why people are still happy with their lifestyle in this slum is because of the companionship they receive from others who are suffering from the same problems as them. However, this companionship cannot last long either. Due to its location near wealthy estates and between two major suburban railway lines, the Dharavi slum is an eyesore. There are already plans underway to redevelop the area into a more lucrative property. Not only this, out of the 1 million living in the Dharavi slum, only 57 000 are provided with housing and the remaining are expected to move to other slums. The lack of proper planning for the fates of the remaining people already hints that the government is considering business profits from the new development over any welfare of the Dharavi people. Also, the removal of slum conditions and redevelopment of the area will result in a massive structural unemployment for these people as they would lose jobs and lack the skills to participate in the formal economy of mumbai. Thus, any efforts to "integrate" these people in to the Mumbai economy are severly lacking and would only push them into further poverty. Therefore, the Dharavi slum is one of despair.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is Asia's largest slum, covering 440 acres of land in Mumbai

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, at 445 acres, is the largest slum in Asia. It is home to an estimated 1 million people.

In Dharavi, living conditions are tough. Some passageways are barely enough for more than

1 person to squeeze through, there is a lack of proper sanitation, and diseases are widespread

during the monsoon and hot summer seasons. Nonetheless, the people of Dharavi still

appear to be happy despite the low standard of living. However, I feel that Dharavi is more

of a 'slum of despair' as its future does not seem bleak.

The Indian government is planning to clear Dharavi for more developments as Dharavi is

located in the middle of Mumbai. Clearing Dharavi means having more space for businesses

to set up in India, allowing more commercial activity to take place for more economic returns.

The residents of Dharavi fear that they may lose all they have painstakingly earned over the

past few years. The government has already done this before, where people lost their homes

and now live in dirt and filth. Living in fear of not knowing when the government might

chase them away from their homes make Dharavi a 'slum of despair'.

Dharavi can also be seen as a 'slum of hope' as the lives of people appear to be very positive.

They are able to support themselves through various means such as cooking for others,

recycling plastic and mass producing pots. The annual turnover of Dharavi is about 700

million, suggesting that the residents there are able to at least earn some money to feed

themselves. They are also all very tightly knitted and willing to help one another. Hence

the positive outlook of life despite the uncomfortable living conditions make Dharavi a 'slum

of hope'.

# data[].attributes.body
To make any certain judgement as to whether Dharavi is a 'slum of hope' or 'slum of despair' at this current point would be seen as myopic without considering all of the relevant points.

The slums there have almost no proper sanitation, with open sewage running through the slums and having a ratio of one toilet to almost 1500 people. This can cause health problems and diseases to the residents and community living there. This number clearly contrasts with Singapore where a family in each home has almost 3 toilets to share in a typical HDB room. The houses built in Dharavi are also ridiculously crowded and unplanned. The space in between one house to the other is only a body width apart and as shown in the video, a family of 6 could only have a space of no more than 2 by 3 metres. The amount of pay that each of them get is also so little, it is almost unthinkable of how each of them could struggle to make ends meet. This is as shown in the video as a woman gets a mere 200 rupees per week for cooking for the factory workers. They are under constant fear of being kicked out by the government as they plan to have the slums make way for new developments as it sits on prime land. This would affect an estimated 1 million people. In return they have been offered to live in apartments built by the government but many of them are ineligible because they do not have the necessary document to prove they have been living there since 1995. This would definitely make them as a 'slum of despair' as the unimaginable living conditions, coupled with the adverse situation that they are in only makes it worse.

However despite all of the challenges faced by these slum dwellers, they instead seem to be quite happy with life there. Many of them take the chance to make a living out of the huge piles of rubbish that is situated nearby them, through their recycling efforts, earning almost $700 million annually. Another example would be the potters and heavy machinery workers who despite all odds, have managed to make a living there for a few decades. Thus they could also be a 'slum of hope' because they remain steadfast and happy despite all the horrible things that they have to live with.

In conclusion, I feel that Dharavi is more of a 'slum of despair' rather than a 'slum of hope' because the problems in which they are facing far outweigh the positives sides. Hostile living conditions with people struggling to feed their families only make the situation of the slums in Dharavi worse. :(

# data[].attributes.body
I feel that Dharavi is more of a slum of hope than a slum of despair.

While the people living in Dharavi is subject to hostile living conditions, slum dwellers have managed to make a living for themselves and have adapted rather well to conditions in the slums.

The people of Dharavi have many business such as pottery, recycling of plastic and even produces heavy machinery. It is astounding to think that a slum which always has many various negative connotations to it can produce up to $700 million a year. This shows that Dharavi is a slum of hope because people are able to make a living for themselves. Dharavi is also responsible for upkeeping the cleanliness of Mumbai which would have otherwise disappeared under a mound of rubbish. This income that the slum dwellers of Dharavi have earned allows them to make brick homes for themselves and allows them to have stable housing conditions. In contrast, those slums which have been redeveloped by the slum redevelopment project has seen many slum dwellers who live in dirt and filth because they do not meet the eligibility criteria for apartments on the outskirts of the city. This has caused widespread displacement and creation of new slums in other areas of the city because they are unable to find anywhere else to live.

The government should not solely focus on economic progress at the expense of its citizens since almost 50% of the population lives in slums. Even though the slums are unsightly and unsanitary, The benefits that the Dharavi slum offers to the country outweighs the cons of the slum and should the redevelopment project be given the green light, the slum issue would not be solved, but would only be hidden.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, is home to more than one million people, despite it being 440 acres and being built on boggy marshlands.

In my opinion, Dharavi is considered a slum of hope. This is largely due to the amount that they provide economically. Dharavi is said to have a cash turnover of 700 million dollars a year. There are many firms that are present to Dharavi, from ‘heavy machinery firms to mass pottery production’. The slum also spawned lucrative export businesses, which contribute to Mumbai’s \GDP significantly each year.

Furthermore, recycling is advocated here. It is mentioned that if Dharavi was not present, then Mumbai would be full of rubbish. As such, Dharavi contributes significantly to the environment, and ironically is knowledgeable enough to turn recycling into a profitable business.

However, Dharavi can also be seen as a slum of despair. Firstly, this is due to the poor sanitation that is present there. In Dharavi, their sewage is managed in open drains. Moreover, only 1 toilet is available for every 1500 individuals living there. This translates to poor sanitation facilities, which the video describes it as a ‘health nightmare’.

All in all, even with the poor accommodation and housing, Dharavi aids in promoting high communal spirit. With the threat of imminent redevelopment, around ¾ of the families will lose their homes and businesses with the demolishing of the slums. Thus, I conclude that Dharavi is a slum of hope in the eyes of those who live there due to extreme poverty or circumstances.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe that Dharavi is more a "slum of hope". Despite the people living a area with small uncomfortable housing, poor sanitation and overcrowding, people had a positive outlook in life. They were not disheartened by the kind of standard of living they had, but instead were happy and felt sufficient with only so little provided for them. Dharavi slum dwellers were hardworking - they were involved in many different kinds of economic activities like recycling plastic, making of potteries and even heavy machine manufacturing. Their contribution has been significant for Dubai as the video mentioned that all these not only drives export business but also helps to maintain Dubai environment as Dharavi residents helps recycle garbage. This is also evident when such economic activities were able to generate a cash turnover of 700 million per year. Similarly, children in the slums also would have a bright future if the continue to have the same attitude they have now where they are studious and willing to work. Hence, Dharavi would be a slum of hope in this case.

However, as Dharavi is situated in a prime piece of land whereby it is between two busy commuter railway track, the government wants to redevelop this piece of land for other economic activities. The government have the intention of integrating the slum dwellers with the mainstream Dubai's citizen by providing them with redevelopment ad rehabilitation packages. While 57 families are eligible for a 225 square feet apartment, the other 200 000 families who are not eligible will not benefit from this redevelopment scheme and will be left in lurch. This results in more development of slums else where when people are chased out Dharavi, causing the government intention to help slum dweller useless.

The government needs to have careful planning before putting in place such a redevelopment programme and ensure that such programme would benefit the slum dwellers as a whole. By helping the slum dwellers getting out of their current situation would not only benefit the residents themselves but also Dubai's economy as a whole.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is one the world;s biggest slums with a population between 300 000 and 1 million. It has an active informal economy in which numerous household enterprises employ many of the slum residents. It exports handmade goods such as leather, textile and pottery all around the world, earning an annual turnover of about US$500 million. Although it is deemed to be one of the most unglamorous places, i believe Dharavi is more of a slum of hope than a slum of despair.

The district has an estimated 5000 businesses and 15,000 single-room factories. The residents produce goods such as textile, leather, pottery as well as goods made from recycled materials which is an increasing trend in the slum itself. For example, there are plastic crushing machines invented by the residents and are now exported to around the world. Without Dharavi, it is aid that Mumbai will be covered with trash. By removing the Dharavi slum, any enterprises will be lost and the city as a while will suffer a fall in economic income.

On top of that, despite the unsightly surroundings, the residents are happy with their lives. They do not ask for more than just a space to do their businesses and earn a living. i believe what they need is not for the government to interfere with their housings but to provide them with sufficient funds to improve their living conditions or to allow them to lift themselves out of poverty. They have the ability to make a living even in the midst of poverty, thus, i believe that if given aid financially they will be able to lift themselves from poverty, therefore should be a slum of hip instead of despair.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi's living conditions are by no means comfortable. Some alley ways are big enough for only one person to pass through at a time, the residents have to squeeze to sleep at night, there are no proper sanitation facilities and during the summer monsoon seasons when it is wet and hot, hygiene and health are seriously affected. The children not only have to cross busy streets to go to and fro, they have to work after school to ensure the survival of the family.

However, despite all this, the residents have a very positive attitude towards life. The children study hard, they make do with what they have--some cook for a living, some recycle waste which actually helps Mumbai clear its rubbish, some build houses and roads. They enjoy life here because this is where they have made their living and this is where all their friends, families are, making Dharavi a tightly knitted society. This is evident when the government plans to clear Dharavi to make way for businesses. The residents are very sceptical about these plans despite being able to move into a more comfortable apartment. This is because many of them would lose their businesses and friends, most of them may end up living in another slum which is still not ideal. To the residents, they are content with their living in Dharavi and this is a strong indicator of how to them, Dharavi is a slum of hope.

However, this is where the problem lies. Dharavi is not only the biggest slum in Asia but it is also strategically located along train tracks. This means that the government has to clear Dharavi in order to attract businesses so that businesses have space. To the government, Dharavi is in the way for attracting investments. However, what the government does not realise is that many of these people have a skills mismatch and are most likely unable to fully engage in the formal economy, which would lead to crime and destitution. The informal economy is their source of income and taking that away from them lead to negative social consequences such as gangs and graffiti. Therefore, to the government, Dharavi is a slum of despair as they impose their own views towards the living conditions there and because of its strategic location. However, what it seems to be is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy where their attempt to attract investors in an attempt to improve the lives of the people, would actually lead to the degradation of the lives of these slum dwellers.

# data[].attributes.body
Personally, I think Dharavi is more a slum of despair than a slum of hope. Dharavi is one of the

largest slums in the world covering 440 acres of land. Dharavi is located between Mumbai’s two

main suburban railway lines. To the north flows the Mithi river, which empties into the Arabian sea.

Both its location and poor drainage systems make Dharavi particularly vulnerable to floods during

the wet season.  Although there is a concerted effort in the redevelopment of the area, it is only a

facade that the government is suddenly taking a particular interest in the welfare of people living

in that area. The reality behind this is the eruption of a new tourism trend otherwise known as

"Poverty Tourism". The popularity of Danny Boyle's movie "Slumdog Millionaire" which featured part

of the slum, contributed greatly to this slum's rise to success.

There is thus an economic incentive to tolerate Dharavi although they are in the heartland of Mumbai.

It is also encouraged by successive political administrations due to its economic significance. It contains a

huge conglomeration of cottage industries and primitive workshops that produce goods for the world market

—an estimated 15,000 single-room factories— as well as an expanding industry processing recyclable waste

from across Mumbai. The total annual turnover of Dharavi is estimated to be anywhere from

US$650 million to US$1 billion. It is only with such economic benefits Dharavi reaps that prevent authorities

from leveling the land they call home.

The slum is only going to get bigger. With rent as low as US$4 a day, the slum makes an attractive place for low

income families to live in. The mobility Dharavi is blessed with, is also another pull factor which attracts these

people to move in. However, with their increasing size, this could only mean greater sanitation and health issues.

Moreover, this also translates into potential encroachment of the slum into the city. Although redevelopment

works are in place to improve the sanitation and healthcare facilities in the slum, it is only sufficient for the current

population of Dharavi. As such, I feel it is a slum of despair as the government cannot be constantly funding the

development works of Dharavi. Monetary and capital funding will soon cease should the trend of "poverty tourism"

die down. Even the capital to begin their recycling entrepreneur efforts had to come from the money received from

this tourism. As such, Dharavi's survival hinges on the survival of such tourism- it is not as self-sufficient as it seems.

It is indeed a slum of despair.

# data[].attributes.body
The Dharavi slum is among the largest slums in the world. Being a slum, many of the poor physical conditions associated with slums are present there. This include the poor hygiene, poor sanitation and overcrowding. However Dharavi Slum is also has a thriving informal economy and redevelopment plans are in the works for Mumbai's largest slum. Thus, I would say the Dharavi slum can be seen as a slum of hope, but only to a certain extent. This is due to the fact that groups of individuals will inevitably be marginalised in the name of development.

There are plans in the pipeline to redevelop Dharavi slum , addressing its many negative physical aspects and giving each household an apartment. It all seems to look good on paper but there have been many pressing problems with the planned redevelopment. Firstly, the high cost of USD800 million. Government bureaucracy and inefficiency has also slowed down progress of the redevelopment plan. In fact in 2008, two major investor's the now defunct Lehman Brothers and Singapore's Capitaland pulled out from the project. The rehousing scheme is also only open to residents who can prove that they have lived in Dharavi since 1995. Though this has since been revised to 2000, many will still fall through the cracks as a result.

Dharavi has a thriving informal economy with an estimated turnover of over USD500 million. The informal sector provides many slum dwellers with the opportunity to support their family. However, the income earned is meager, barely enough to feed themselves. The informal sector also contributes very little to the national economy. The redevelopment plans have threatened the informal economy, in the sense that many people would have to abandon their business. However, in my opinion, this would be positive in the long run, as by redeveloping the slum, more opportunities would be provided for residents to get involved with the formal sector, which has much more opportunities for them, possibly, even to escape the poverty cycle.

The redevelopment plan will result in some short run negative consequences, however, this is inevitable in the name of progress. In the long run, almost all of Dharvi's residents should benefit in one way or another. Meanwhile, government should take active steps to mitigate the negative short run impacts of the redevelopment plan.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is Asia's largest slum, located at Mumbai. It houses over a million people who could not afford the expensive rents in the city but work there.

I think that Dharavi is more of a "slum of hope" rather than a "slum of despair". Despite the harsh environment, the residents of Dharavi managed to eke out a living through their community spirit and tenacity. They were even considered as important for Mumbai, as they did all the recycling that was sorely needed for the city, and made the recycled materials into something useful. More importantly, they are happy with their lives despite the hardships they face, and are able to at least feed their families. Living in the slums for a long time also prompted them to build better and stronger housing, so their lives are better than before when they first entered the slums. As long as the government does not relocate the residents to unlucrative areas, Dharavi would continue to be a "slum of hope".

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is a slum of despair. This slum is home to about a million people and covers 445 acres of land. There is

only one toilet to 1500 residents and sewage runs through drain. Each family in Dharavi work very hard for very

little and live in very small spaces. The living conditions of these slum dwellers are not good and to alleviate the

problems these slum dwellers are facing will not be easy. Firstly, the sheer extent of the number of dwellers will

make it hard to relocate them and provide them with better housing. Proper housing will only be given to people

who meet the requirements and many families in Dharavi do not. Should the government try and redevelop this

slum area, many people will be left homeless. Their conditions will be even worse than what they are experiencing

now as they would have no roof over their heads and no jobs. Secondly, yo redevelop this slum, it would mean

destroying businesses that do contribute to the Mumbai economy and this will not only affect the livelihoods of

these businessmen is Dharavi but also affect the economy. Therefore, Dharavi is a slum of despair because too

many people will be affected should Dharavi try to redevelop.

Dharavi is a slum of hope. The people in Dharavi are working and holding proper jobs. While these jobs may not

contribute to the formal sector of the economy, it does contribute to the social sector of Mumbai. For example,

the recycling that the people in Dharavi does have actually helped the environment of Mumbai. This shows that the

people are willing to work hard to provide themselves with a better life. This shows that there is hope for Dharavi as

the people are willing to work hard. They are able to create a livelihood for themselves with their circumstances which

shows that they are actually very intelligent and creative people. The children in Dharavi are getting an education which

is the first step for them to achieve a better life. In Dharavi, there is close community spirit which you cannot find elsewhere

in the city and this is an achievement. Therefore, Dharavi is a slum of hope as the people are hardworking and helpful and when put into a new situation, they would be able to work their way through and survive.

Therefore, Dharavi is a slum of hope as the people are resilient. No matter what obstacles they face, they are creative enough to solve their own problems. They're independent people and will not wait for the government to provide for them. Hence, Dharavi has hope of coming out of a slum.

# data[].attributes.body
I feel that Dharavi is more a slum of hope than slum of despair. This is because despite the poor living conditions in the slums, the slum-dwellers seem to have already adapted to this environment and coped with carrying on with their lives in the slum conditions.

From the video, the tour guide himself was surprised by the situation in the slum. He had expected the slums to fit the negative images that have been associated with Dharavi. However, he saw that everyone there was working and there was a hive of activities as people busied themselves, even amidst the slum conditions. In fact, Dharavi is considered a village within a city, as it seems to have everything that most people would not think they have. These included heavy

machine manufacturing, large scale pottery production and recycling of plastic.

In addition, the slum has in fact seen lucrative export businesses. For example plastic crushing machines are made in Dharavi which are then exported to Mumbai and to the rest of the world. This makes Dharavi a slum of hope because it is able to generate revenue for themselves. In fact, the cash turnover of the Dharavi slum has amounted to $700 million a year, which is a considerable amount for a slum that has been negatively perceived by many. It is also important to note that Dharavi has helped to upkeep the city of Mumbai in terms of its environment. As mentioned earlier, Dharavi carries out the recycling of plastic and this is something that the city of Mumbai may have lacked or overlooked. It is because of their recycling efforts that without Dharavi, the city of Mumbai would disappear in mountains of garbage.

Though I believe that Dharavi is more a slum of hope, there are counter arguments that it is more a slum of despair. From the video it can be seen that the living conditions in Dharavi are poor and definitely not comfortable to live in. This is supported by the fact that there is poor sanitation in the slum as there is only one toilet for every 1500 residents living in the slums. Sewage runs through open drains and this may increase the likelihood of the residents contracting water-bourne diseases. Their health are made worse during the monsoon seasons and summer heat which makes living in the slum unbearable. The residents also have to squeeze in a tiny room which is less than 2m by 3m.

However, despite such conditions, the slum-dwellers in Dharavi are coping well with living in these conditions. They also have very positive attitudes towards their living in the slums. This is because of the strong social ties that exist within the slums that have strengthened the community spirit there. The slum-dwellers are generally happy with living there because all their friends and family are also there, and so would choose not to move out of the slums even with the poor living conditions. They also help one another out in the neighbourhood and everyone knows everyone else very well. All the slum-dwellers are like family to one another and are thus bonded to one another. Even as there are plans to redevelop the slums, majority of the slum-dwellers would not want to move out of where they are currently staying. The redevelopment programme would mean a financial disaster to the businesses in the slums and that they would be very much worse off than before. This shows that Dharavi is a slum of hope as people are already satisfied with their lives in the slum as opposed to what it would be like after the redevelopment programme. In fact Dharavi would become a slum of despair if it were to be redeveloped because only those who are eligible (have stayed in Dharavi since 1995) can move into the new apartments. But this is means that many would be forced out because they do not have the papers to prove that they have lived there since 1995. In other words, people are happy living in the slums because they see hope in living there despite the difficult living conditions. Therefore, I feel that Dharavi is more a slum of hope rather than a slum of despair.

# data[].attributes.body
I think Dharavi in Mumbai is more of a slum of hope. Although plagued with problems, it signifies that improvements can be done it the area. Furthermore, the people of Dharavi shows how adaptable we can be, as this place and community means a lot to them.

In the video, a child says that he has grown up there and all of his friends are there. Hence, he does not want to live anywhere else. Other redeeming aspects of the Dharavi slum is that a strong sense of community has been forged there and it is in close proximity to school for the students and work for the adults.

Although I do not think they should be living in there for the long-term future, it is undeniable that it houses the formal and informal sector, with high turnover of to be between US$500 million, overUS$650 million per year, to over US$1 billion per year. Both the informal and the formal sector helps to drive the economy, though the government should not be too reliant on the informal sector and it can only be used to help boost and support the economy in the short-term.

With support from the economy, the government will hopefully redevelop the area into one with more amenities and improved sanitation, for most of the residents in Dharavi without major displacement or the erosion of the precious community spirit they now have. Hence, Dharavi is a slum of hope as it is filled with positivity and great community spirit. Many people, although suffering, also have hopes for improvement in their living conditions, though expressing concerns with regards to displacement.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that the Dharavi slum is more of a slum of hope than a slum of despair to both the slum dwellers as well as the government.

The physical conditions of the slums are dire. The population density of the slum is approximately 76 times that of Singapore as they have 1 000 000 people living in 445 acres of land. As such, people live in cramped living conditions like the Zabir family of 6 who live in a 2x3m apartment. There is 1 toilet to 15 000 residents and sewage runs through open drains. In monsoon rains and heat of summer, it is a health nightmare for the citizens.

However, despite these conditions, the slum dwellers adopt a positive attitude towards life. The young are studying hard and shared that they would not want to live anywhere else as their friends are there and people in the neighbourhood are helpful as they know each other well. Commercial activities such as machine manufacturing, pottery production and plastic recycling are also carried out in Dharavi which generates a cash turnover of 700 million a year. Dharavi is also Mumbai's support economically and in helping them recycle their garbage, saving Mumbai from '[disappearing] and [melting] with garbage'.

To the government, Dharavi sits in Mumbai's geographical hub and between Mumbai's two commercial railways. Thus, they feel the need to redevelop Dharavi. This redevelopment however, has caused stress to the slum dwellers as only 57 000 of the 200 000 families will be entitled to the 225 sq foot apartment while the rest of them will be chased out of Dharavi and have no where to go. The businesses will also suffer as they will not have enough space to carry out their work.

Overall, Dharavi is truly a slum of hope for it's dwellers as well as the government who see potential in it thus wanting to redevelop it. On the other hand, this redevelopment will cause trouble to many dwellers who will be chased out of the slum.

# data[].attributes.body
I think Dharavi is more of a slum of hope. Within the slum, there are many lucrative export businesses such as manufacturing industries that produce machines that crush plastic as well as pottery making. It is said to have an annual cash turnover of $700 million, which could help to improve the standard of living for the slum dwellers overtime. Furthermore, the slum is an important asset to the city of Mumbai as it helps to process the garbage generated in the city through the recycling of plastic. Otherwise, Mumbai would be overwhelmed by the amount of garbage generated. Additionally, the children in Dharavi have access to education due to the vicinity of schools in the city centre. By raising the educational standards of children, they may be able to escape the poverty cycle and improve their standard of living in future. Moreover, people in Dharavi are satisfied with their living conditions and they have also built a strong community within the slum.

However, Dharavi can also be a slum of despair as there are no proper sanitation facilities in place, coupled with high-density residences. This could pose a threat to the wellbeing of the slum dwellers as they do not have access to proper sanitation systems which could result in the development and spread of diseases. Furthermore, the slum is a major contributor of pollution due to the many manufacturing industries operating within the slum, which could further affect the vitality and wellbeing of the people living in the city centre.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is Asia's largest slum that lies between the city of Mumbai, covering 440 acres that was once marshland. Half of India's population live in slums and it is a common sight within India. Despite the dismal situations within the slum of Dharavi, I believe that Dharavi is a slum of hope more than a slum of despair.

Dharavi is a city that thrives within itself. There are many small family-run business enterprises that have been operating for years, these include potters and families that cook for workers nearby. Such businesses ensure that these families are able to fend and earn an income for themselves even though the income received may not be substantial. Furthermore, enterprises such as the recycling of plastic and the large scale machine producing have spawned export opportunities, leading to a turnover of $700 million. Mumbai heavily relies on such businesses which makes Dharavi a thriving and lucrative spot that sustains the city. This shows how Dharavi can generate its own income and function as if a city itself, showing its sustainability and functionality. Hence, with the promising advantages that it reaps, Dharavi presents itself as a slum of hope rather than despair.

Furthermore, the human spirit within Dharavi is very strong. Dharavi is already self sustainable and the people are very comfortable living in such slums, albeit small and unsanitary. The people in the slums may have generated concerns that if they are moved out of the slums, they may not be able to receive the same amount of land space for their businesses. It is unarguable that the people of the slums hope for better but the fear of the unknown that the Indian government presents through its policies scare the people of Dharavi because even they do not know if they are eligible for housing. The people of Dharavi are passionate and hopeful about where they live and their doubts arise from the fact that if the Indian government is concerned about the development of the people or the land.

Overall, despite all the setbacks that Dharavi faces, it still presents itself as one that is a slum of hope that is sustained and held together by the strong willed human spirit of the people and the passion and innovation that sustains them as a slum within the bustling and lucrative city of Mumbai.

# data[].attributes.body
Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, lies on prime property right in the middle of India's financial capital, Mumbai (Bombay). It is home to more than a million people. Many are second-generation residents, whose parents moved in years ago.

In a city where house rents are among the highest in the world, Dharavi provides a cheap and affordable option to those who move to Mumbai to earn their living. Dharavi also has a large

number of thriving small-scale industries that produce embroidered garments, export quality leather goods, pottery and plastic. Most of these products are made by the residents who live in tiny manufacturing units spread across the slum and are sold in domestic as well as international markets. The annual turnover of business here is estimated to be more than $650m (£350m) a year. To the residents here, Dharavi is their home and financial hope.

On the other hand, Dharavi today occupies one of the most central and strategic positions. The city's two major train lines intersect at Sion, in the heart of Dharavi, and the city's biggest corporate park, Bandra Kurla Complex, which houses everything from embassies to major international banks, is just across the Mithi River. The slum area's real estate value has reached a premium. If Dharavi were to be bulldozed tomorrow, it is estimated the government would be able to sell the land for $25 billion. Therefore in the government's viewpoint, the presence of Dharavi have hindered economic development and has to be redeveloped.

The government's vision is to integrate the slum dwellers of Dharavi to the mainstream, citizens of Mumbai by providing sustainable development. They plan to provide each family with a 275 square meters flat. To many of the businesses in Dharavi, it would be financial disaster. The redevelopment plan have also been said to have questionable potential, this is because there is a need to have incremental investments in this that the community needs to be a part of. In other words, simply "replacing a bad house with a better house" lacks the holistic approach and involvement that DBS (Design Build Serve- DBS Affordable Home Strategy Ltd)believes is essential to moving people up the value chain and into the formal housing market. For this to happen, government investment in housing must simultaneously involve investment in moving the poor up the socio-economic ladder by including health, education and "equipping them to deal with life." Furthermore, while developers claim everyone will be re-housed into better accommodation, unfair rules mean most families won't be able to benefit from the change. Driven out of their homes, they will lose everything.Therefore, Dharavi now is more a "slum of hope than a slum of despair" until the redevelopment plan is reconsidered and improved to reduce all the drawbacks.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is home to approximately 1 million people. It lies in the geographical heart of
Mumbai and thus the government is planning to redevelop the area. This will
help to integrate slum dwellers of Dharavi with mainstream Mumbai citizens.
This puts the future of Dharavi at stake. Thus, I think that Dharavi is more of
a slum of despair than a slum of hope.

Dharavi is a commercialized, busy village with heavy machineries to recycling of
plastic materials. It has a cash turnover of about 700 million in a year.
Without dharavi, Mumbai would disappear and remelt in garbage. Hence, dharvai
has significant importance in the sustainability of Mumbai. Due to the close
proximity that people live in, it brings about a closely knitted community
where people would help one another. Despite adverse living conditions, the
people of Dharavi wants to continue to live there as it is a place they call
home which they have grown up in where all their friends and family are.

However, Dharavi is a highly overcrowded village. 1 toilet is shared by 15 hundred
people and some rooms are as small as 2m x 3m with 6 people living in such a
confined space. Moreover, their sewage runs through open doors. Such poor water
sanitation and sewage systems poses a danger to their health as water borne
diseases like malaria will spread easily.

The redevelopment of Dharavi is said to give each family 225 sq ft apartment. This
is a significant increase in the space that they currently live in.

Nevertheless, this does not apply to everyone. Only those who have liked in Mumbai since 1995
are eligible. Many Dharavians do not have the paper to prove how long they have
lived there. About only 57, 000 people will get the homes. Thus, this new housing
will only be applicable to a small group of people and the others will be
forced to relocate out of Dharavi. These people may be homeless and It is also
a financial disaster as some businesses will be forced to wind up and relocate
outskirts.

In conclusion, Dharavi has poor living conditions without basic housing and
sanitation. Even so, Dharavi is a place that brings joy as the people living
there are happy. However, with the upcoming redevelopment plans, the negative
impacts outweigh the positive impacts. A major problem is the fact that many
people will be forced to move outskirts. This means that they will not have a
roof over their heads and their dreams will be shattered, livelihood affected. Therefore,
Dharavi is more of a slum of despair as the redevelopment of the area would
cause the relocation of the people which would dampen the people’s glimmer of
light for the fact that they want to continue to live in Dharavi.

# data[].attributes.body
I think Dharavi is more or a slum of despair than of hope. It is a barrier to the further development of Mumbai, even though it generates US$500 million for the city each year. The people living in Dharavi are faced with the constant threat of health issues such as water borne diseases like cholera and dysentery. Also, as the city of Mumbai is constantly expanding with the influx of migrants, Dharavi poses an obstruction to the further growth of the city centre for new businesses and proper housing estates. Furthermore, the government is willing to rehouse the slum dwellers of Dharavi to a proper, official housing, where they do not have to worry about being evicted or having their houses demolished. Having their own house will also provide a form of belonging to Mumbai, and the chance to start looking for a proper job that is sustainable in the long term, and could be their chance to break free from the cycle of poverty. The cramped conditions in many of the photos of Dharavi will give an impression to foreignors that Mumbai is not a conducive place to set up their businesses because of the low levels of development and infrastructure. The slum is a hindrance to the governments plans to improve the area. Hence, Dharavi is more a slum of despair due to the dismal living conditions and its

Although the slum of Dharavi is a more of a slum of despair, there lies hope within individual families, as they have formed communities and friends in Dharavi. With these communities, they are able to derive hope. However, these ties will be lost if they are relocated, but I feel that this is a minor issue when compared to the larger one of the limited development should the slum stay in place. Even though the new housing will not be able to rehouse all of the slum dwellers, it will still alleviate the problem of slums, while the government redevelops the area.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is known as the largest slum in Asia, with population of about 1 million, making up a significant 60% of Mumbai's population. To the government, they may find Dharavi as the "slum of despair" due to the poor standard of living and great problems present there. However, to the people, Dharavi is "slum of hope" as they find their quality of life there satisfying, and every opportunity to them is a hope. In my opinion, I think Dharavi is more of a "slum of hope" as even though the poor living conditions, the quality of life of the people there is satisfying to them, and there is potential to develop Dharavi.

Looking at the quality of life, though many may argue that their quality of life is poor, especially if we compare it to affluent countries such as Singapore, but to the population, they are actually having a satisfying quality of life. Generally, they are happy about their lifestyle there. The population there seem to be very bonded, since they have been staying together for long periods of time. They can depend each other, and there are a lot of interactions. This can explain why many refuses to move out, even though they will be offered better and bigger housing. The Zabairs family is one example of how they are happy with their situation. Because of this positivity, the people in Dharavi are able to motivate themselves and continue to work hard. There are a lot of informal sectors in Dharavi that actually are beneficial as it provides job for people, despite their small returns. One job is the recycling of goods. This has allowed them to earn about $700 million a year. Exports business and manufacturing and production of goods are also important sectors there. Without Dhavari, Mumbai as a whole will be harmed economically-losing about $700 million, socially- breaking the strong bonds and environmentally, since there will be less recycling. The fact that Dharavi is able to generate great amount of income, has such hardworking and bonded community, actually makes Dharavi a slum with lots of potential if developed, thus a "slum of hope". However, we cannot disagree with what the government authorities stated, that supports how they find Dharavi a "slum of despair". The standard of living there is just poor. There is overcrowding, huge families are living in a small house. There is only one toilet for every 1500 people and sewage run through open drains. This easily breeds diseases, which harms their health. Children, instead of having the opportunity to study, have to help out in earning income. This kind of living condition creates bad impression too, which is no doubt why the government authorities want to redevelop Dharavi, primarily to maximise the usage of its potential to promote economic growth and create better impression, since Dharavi is located near the railway lines of the city area, and secondarily, to benefit the people.

As Professor R.N.Sharma said, the redevelopment of Dharavi will only create more problems. Relocating people will lead to people forming their own slums, since they are not as affluent compared to other people living in the outer suburbs, where the government wants to relocate them. Businesses will drop, unemployment rate will rise as the present jobs people have may not be sustainable in the new area, and they may not have the required skills for the jobs in the new area. Thus, rather than redeveloping the whole area, I think that they government authorities should aid and slowly make the living condition better in Dharavi, having a better standard of living, as it also does not make sense to keep Dharavi in this poor environment. At the same time, the aid does not break the community bond, allows people to continue to work. Furthermore, since the Dharavi is located in a good area, near the railway lines, the potential growth of the slum is high. Thus, aiding them without losing Dharavi's good aspects will help it develop well. From this, I believe that Dharavi is a "slum of hope" as it posseses great potential to grow.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you think Dharavi is ‘more a slum of hope or slum of despair? Give details and reasons for your perspective.

I think that Dharavi is a slum of hope. It has a large population of around 1 million people with around 600,00 of that population living in makeshift housing. The city is an unending stretch of narrow dirty lanes, open sewers and cramped huts. It had now shifted its industry towards a heavy machinery and manufacturing industry, inside of being the fishing village it used to be. Also, although is it Asia's largest slum, it is located within the heart of Mumbai, India's financial capital. Dharavi is also located between 2 of Mumbai's main suburban rail lines, enabling transport to be convenient to travel to work. These factors thus shows its potential for progress and it being a slum of hope.

The living conditions has also improved over time as citizens there are able to find jobs in a higher order industry than the previous one such as the manufacturing industry. Although the informal sector is the main source of employment, it is able to generate an estimated total annual turnover has been at over US$500 million, which contributes to the economy significantly enabling it to grow. Also, in Dharavi, despite the low sanitation and poor living conditions, it provides cheap rent for citizens to live in as opposed to the other parts of Mumbai.

The government has also strategised for improvement and change for Dharavi, the Dharavi/Mumbai redevelopment project, which plans to reconstruct Dharavi involving the reconstruction of all the shacks, informal businesses and other structure, creating a new city with a new image. The newly built city will provide a better quality of life for those who can afford and adapt to it because they have received education in the past but they were unable to find a job in their village before. These people will probably not have such problems finding a job because many new opportunities will open up when the city is rebuilt. Thus with this change, it can be seen that Dharavi is more a slum of hope than a slum or despair.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi "more of a slum of hope or slum of despair?

Dharavi, home to the largest number of slums in Asia, has a population of about

1 million people where it makes up 60% of the Mumbai's population. With a constrained

amount of land catering to a large population, Dharavi appeals the most of people because

the land and rent is of the cheapest in Mumbai. With majority of businesses involved in heavy

machinery industry, large scale pottery production and recycling, the people do not earn

much themselves hence the decision to live here. Despite the lack of proper sanitation, extreme

poverty (average US$ 5 per week), lack of clean water supply and dirty living conditions, the people

are satisfied and happy within their community and the bonds that they have forged while living

together - calling it a slum of hope for them.

The measly amount of salary they earn from their work does not stop them from living their life

so positively. They are mostly driven to work hard so as to ensure that their children would be able

to receive proper education and healthcare. If they were to stop, these families will have no income

to be able to purchase food or any basic necessities for their children. They are driven by the hope

that if Dharavi ever gets redeveloped, their children will benefit from it first. Moreover with the Dharavi

Rehabilitation Plan, each family would get to upgrade from living in slums to a 225 square feet apartment

which means a lot to them. (only if they can prove that they have lived there since 1995) With the recycling

business, pottery and large machinery industry that has been ongoing, it has helped to clear the

rubbish in Dharavi and earn about US $700 million annually. This shows their self sufficiency despite

the government wanting to upgrade their land rather than improving the standard of living and skills of the

people. Despite knowing that these businesses would wind up after the rehabilitation because they will

have to move to the outskirts, they worry a lot because they are concerned with the expenses that they

will then be unable to afford. They wish to provide their children with the privilege of attaining an

education who hold their dreams and hopes of changing the social, economic and political reputation

India wishes to achieve in future.

# data[].attributes.body
Dorcas Yeo, 13A03

Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia, home to an estimated 1 million people with unique ways of living. It is also primarily recognised for its small enterprises and companies, on top of being homes to the people. The people of Dharavi lived there for many years, making up approximately 60% of the population of Mumbai. I think that Dharavi is more a slum of hope than a slum of despair.

Firstly, I think that Dharavi is more a slum of hope as it allows the people living in there to transit into a better lifestyle with time given the economic opportunities to propel forward. In Dharavi, the informal economy provides jobs for the people. A ctivities in Dharavi include everything from heavy machinery manufacturing to pottery factories to the large-scale recycling of plastic as well. Export businesses having been created, contributes to the growing economy. The recycling industry is also known to have given Dharavi a hope to climb up the social ladder. The video mentioned that t he cash turnover of this slum runs to $700 million a year and without Dharavi and the recycling that goes on there, Mumbai would disappear under a mountain of garbage. This is beneficial to Dharavi in the social, economic and environmental aspects. Additionally, the people living in Dharavi are happy to stay there and like living there despite poor living conditions and the hardships that they face. C ommunities are close-knit, social and supportive. The Zabair family featured in the video were shown to have a house which is a tiny room no more than 2m by 3m. Nonetheless, the Zabairs said they are happy where they are and they work to maintain a quiet dignity in their tiny home. With such positive energy, Dharavi can bring about positive changes to the area and improve the living conditions of the people.

However, Dharavi might be seen as a slum of despair as well. The working and living conditions are in a process of seemingly inevitable decay. From the video, there is only one toilet for every 1,500 residents and sewage runs through open drains. Overcrowding and the poor sanitation facilities can bring about major problems such as the spread of diseases that can worsen the current situation. Moreover, the redevelopment plan for Dharavi might even be countereffective. In the video, Professor R. N. Sharma states his belief that the current redevelopment plan for Dharavi will only add to Mumbai's slum problems. A substantial amount of people will be forced to move outside and create their own slums. The businesses of the people would wind up as well since they would not have the large area and it would be impossible for them to continue their present work.

All in all, I feel that Dharavi is more of a slum of hope than despair since there are many opportunities that can improve the people’s standard of living and quality of life. It is thus possible to tackle poverty and deprivation. As governments and organizations are developing new approaches to integrating the slum into the city, Dharavi’s unique political, economic, cultural, and environmental factors as well as the needs of the people have to be considered.

# data[].attributes.body
Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia, home to an estimated 1 million people with unique ways of living. It is also primarily recognised for its small enterprises and companies, on top of being homes to the people. The people of Dharavi lived there for many years, making up approximately 60% of the population of Mumbai. I think that Dharavi is more a slum of hope than a slum of despair.

Firstly, I think that Dharavi is more a slum of hope as it allows the people living in there to transit into a better lifestyle with time given the economic opportunities to propel forward. In Dharavi, the informal economy provides jobs for the people. A ctivities in Dharavi include everything from heavy machinery manufacturing to pottery factories to the large-scale recycling of plastic as well. Export businesses having been created, contributes to the growing economy. The recycling industry is also known to have given Dharavi a hope to climb up the social ladder. The video mentioned that t he cash turnover of this slum runs to $700 million a year and without Dharavi and the recycling that goes on there, Mumbai would disappear under a mountain of garbage. This is beneficial to Dharavi in the social, economic and environmental aspects. Additionally, the people living in Dharavi are happy to stay there and like living there despite poor living conditions and the hardships that they face. C ommunities are close-knit, social and supportive. The Zabair family featured in the video were shown to have a house which is a tiny room no more than 2m by 3m. Nonetheless, the Zabairs said they are happy where they are and they work to maintain a quiet dignity in their tiny home. With such positive energy, Dharavi can bring about positive changes to the area and improve the living conditions of the people.

However, Dharavi might be seen as a slum of despair as well. The working and living conditions are in a process of seemingly inevitable decay. From the video, there is only one toilet for every 1,500 residents and sewage runs through open drains. Overcrowding and the poor sanitation facilities can bring about major problems such as the spread of diseases that can worsen the current situation. Moreover, the redevelopment plan for Dharavi might even be countereffective. In the video, Professor R. N. Sharma states his belief that the current redevelopment plan for Dharavi will only add to Mumbai's slum problems. A substantial amount of people will be forced to move outside and create their own slums. The businesses of the people would wind up as well since they would not have the large area and it would be impossible for them to continue their present work.

All in all, I feel that Dharavi is more of a slum of hope than despair since there are many opportunities that can improve the people’s standard of living and quality of life. It is thus possible to tackle poverty and deprivation. As governments and organizations are developing new approaches to integrating the slum into the city, Dharavi’s unique political, economic, cultural, and environmental factors as well as the needs of the people have to be considered.

# data[].attributes.body
i feel that Dharavi is more of a slum of hope in for the populations living within it despite the believe of urban redevelopment authorities, who think that its existence brings about more problem for Mumbai.

Populations living within the slums have already gotten used to living in the conditions that they are living in. The population appears to model after a sustainable, self dependent population that many governments pursue today. One prominent aspect would be how recycling of plastics are rampant in society. This creates some form of employment for the population in the sense that income can be earned out of recycling and thus, providing them with something more tangible. in other words, the population makes do with what little they have to get by. The population is opportunistic and leap at any chance they have to make a living. This is evident since there is a diverse spread of economic activities that that take place in this informal economy. That being said, this community of Dharavi helps fill the gaps in Mumbai's economy. more specifically, the jobs that are avoided by the local populations who may be slightly more skilled.

Furthermore, after occupying this area for such long periods of time, there appears to be a strong sense of a bonded community, where people are able to depend on those around them for help, where necessary. the community appears to be very self sufficient since there is little interaction with other rest of the Mumbai economy. this is backed up by data that this informal sector of the economy generates up to $700 million dollars annually. Hence, i feel that by looking at where Mumbai stands today from different aspects ie. social, environmental, political), there is a need for the continues existence of Dharavi at this point in time.

Despite this, i do acknowledge that the government has many concerns if Dharavi continues to exist in society. After all, Dharavi is nothing but a slum that leaves a negative impression on many.some of these problems include the limited economic progress that Mumbai at large can make in the long run.

However, if the government simply bulldozes this community homes down, it would be detrimental to the society as a whole since most of the neighbouring areas and communities are unable to support themselves sustainably, let alone a inflow of this 1 million slum dwellers. On top of this, the population is largely dependent on the informal sector of Dharavi to make a living. Hence, the displacement of this population would result in the loss of employment opportunities, albeit in the informal sector of the economy. This population of slum dwellers would have no where to go if redevelopment plans suggested by the authorities are carried out. Ultimately i feel that education is necessary to improve the situation of these slum dwellers. Instead of merely following the current plans, government officials should instead choose to build on the existing infrastructure of the community.

# data[].attributes.body
I think for the people living in  Dharavi, its  "more a slum of hope" compared to the government whom thinks the slumps are ''more a slum of despair'' and wants to remove the slumps entirely and rehouse the citizens to a 225 square foot apartment as they think that the slumps are located in a very suitable area for businesses in the city as it is beside a railway track.

I feel that its more a slum of hope because most importantly, the people living there are happy with everything and are make doing of whatever they have. Some of them are even reluctant to leave the slum for better housing in the outer surburbs where the houses are 225 square foot compared to the houses in which they are living now, 2m by 3m. People also help each other in the neighbourhood and strong bonds are built. This could be one reason why people refuse to move out. Some of the people there have businesses. Manufacturing and production of goods are also available there. Export businesses are also carried out there where goods are sold to Dubai and other countries from all over the world generating money. People staying there state that they can get everything at the place itself. This is due to the people in the slumps being very diligent by consistently working and recycling goods. Due to the recycling, the cash turnover is about 700 million dollars a year. Without Dharavi, and the recycle that goes on there, Mumbai would have disappeared. These are a few of the positive factors that prevents the residents to vacate.

However, their living conditions are far most unacceptable and the government maybe doing good to them by moving them out even though their motive might be different. The whole slump of 445 acres is home to 1 million people. This illustrates that there is overcrowding. There is only one toilet in the entire slump and the sanitation facilities are not appropriate. This could cause diseases and lost of lives. Their sewage runs from open drain and they sometimes do not get clean water to drink. Also, young children have to help out in businesses on top of their school in order to make a living. This involves young children crossing busy roads. This could be very dangerous. Therefore the government is trying to accommodate these people by giving them apartments at the outer suburbs which could be more condusive and hygienic. The government can also use the slumps for redevelopment in order to gain revenue, leading to economic growth.

In conclusion, even though the living conditions are bad, the people living in the slumps are satisfied and happy with what they are doing are what they have. Even in these extreme conditions, people are reluctant to leave. This shows how much the slumps mean to them. Afterall, they are happy with their lives and in a way, they are happy with their standard of living and quality of life. Thus, Dharavi is  "more a slum of hope"

# data[].attributes.body
I think that Dharavi is "more a slum of hope" for the people living there than the government authorities that look upon it as a major problem to solve, as well as a source of high returns due to its prime location near the railway lines in the city area.

The people of Dharavi's whole livelihood resides in that slum area, they live, go to school, do business and have communal meals, all in one small area. They are very hard working, doing their best to survive in an overcrowded nation, and yet they have not lost their will to strive towards the hope of breaking out of this uncertainty in their future. They engage in jobs that also help to sustain the economy. With their work in recycling the wastes the city generates, it helps to provide them with a source of income, and which also provides a more sustainable future for their country. It was also mentioned that without Dharavi, and their recycling activities, Mumbai would turn into a dump heap. Hence, Dharavi has in fact provided an avenue of environmental sustainability for the country. The community of people living there are also very tight-knit as they have all grown up together, and they will look out for one another in times of need, this has created a rare sense of collective community spirit not frequently observed in developed nations. This spirited population of over 1 million people living in Dharavi, are certainly a slum of hope as they are creative users of the previously uninhabitable marshland, opportunistically self-employed workers who sustain themselves instead of relying on the meagre provisions from the government and being helpless, and are even generating a profit of 700 million dollars a year.

However, to the government authorities who look more on the economical side for the future growth of the country, these unsightly slums have to go. Sanitation in Dharavi is really bad, where 1 toilet is shared between 15 hundred residents, and sewage flows in open drains. Hence this poses as a huge problem, environmentally(sanitation, waste disposal), economically(deter investors), and socially(deaths due to collapse of poor housing due to a natural disaster perhaps?). For the case of Dharavi, these squatter settlements are residing on prime location, which could be put to better uses. Therefore, Dharavi might be looked upon as "more a slum of despair" instead due to these reasons to government authorities.

However, if you take a deeper look into within the community, they are actually self-sustainable even with their poor living conditions and standard of living. But could this self-sustainability continue to thrive in our ever changing and urbanising world? It might not be so, therefore the need of government intervention through slum redevelopment, but the government officials also need to take into better considerations the needs of the Dharavi people, instead of being too economically motivated.

# data[].attributes.body
With reference to the video of Dharavi in Mumbai. Do you think Dharavi is ‘more a slum of hope or slum of despair? Give details and reasons for your perspective. Please put down your name and class whilst posting