Slums under the Mathikere flyoverTemporary Permanence OR Permanent Temporariness

Description: During the recent construction of the Mathikere flyover and the expansion of the road, 75 slum houses were demolished. To temporarily rehabilitate the families, the slum board constructed 40 1-room accommodations with shared bathrooms and toilets under the newly constructed flyover. While there are about 30 families residing here, a few of the families have shifted their belongings to the rooms, locked them up and are staying away with relatives. The corporation water is supplied to the bathrooms and toilets in the slum and there is also a motorized bore nearby for drinking water.

Most, if not all of the residents here are unhappy with the quality of living and the sudden change that has come about in their lives. They complain about the dangers involved in living under a flyover, the noise pollution of the traffic, the lack of security around the area and even the quality of drinking water.

Though they are all familiar with each other, having lived in the same slum for many years, their neighbours have changed. They find themselves living next doors to people they were only acquaintances with earlier, and so there is very little unity in the community. All that ties them is their common living situation and their dream to move soon to a better place.

Since they have no connect with the community they lived in earlier, they also do not have any local leaders to approach to help solve and sort problems. Currently, one of the older men in the slum is a go-to person.

Sanitation Situation: 8 households share 1 bathroom and toilet. While this may be a better situation than other slums, most people here are unhappy as they used to live in houses with private toilets

Why This Would Be A Good Location To Study:The Mathikere Slum is unique for it is the newest slum and also a small slum with about 30 families

It is an example of a slum created FOR the people and NOT BY the people

The residents of the slum are living in a temporary (?) state of flux with a dream of shifting to the permanent home promised by the government. They feel quite hopeless at times and are not quite certain that the government will deliver on time.

This is an extreme example of how people respond and try to improve the civic services being provided to them in face of extreme uncertainty and flux. These citizens dont seem to be making any efforts to organize collective action / bargaining because they are anticipating a further relocation (that could take an indefinite period of time). This dynamic plays out in a very large majority of Indian slums and affects needs / wants / perceptions / behaviours of residents in these slums. Strongly recommend selection.