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70 p.c. slum dwellers from UP, Bihar

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI SEPT. 21 .An internal sample survey carried out by the Slum Department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has revealed a large number of interesting and at times surprising facts about the Capital's slum dwellers.

Carried out last month as part of the MCD drive to relocate more than 75,000 jhuggis from the Yamuna Pushta, the survey gives details about various aspects of the slum dweller's life including their place of origin, duration of stay in the Capital, average family size, education, age-profile, occupation, distance from place of work, pattern of expenditure and savings.

Contrary to the recent reports of the National Capital Regional Planning Board (NCRPB), the survey concludes that more than 70 per cent of the slum dwellers are from Uttar Pradesh (42.2 per cent) and Bihar (29.2 per cent).

The NCRPB survey on migration had put Rajasthan and Haryana above Bihar. Only 4.8 per cent of the slum dwellers are from Rajasthan and 1.4 from Haryana. Nearly 10 per cent of these come from West Bengal. Surprisingly, 4.6 per cent of the inhabitants of Delhi live in slum clusters.

The survey, which will help the city planners to have a clear-cut policy for slum dwellers, also indicates that over the past five years there has not only been a decline in migration but there has also not been a substantial increase in their population. As per the survey, more than 96 per cent of the slum dwellers have been staying here for more than six years. Of these 33.2 per cent has been living for over 15 years.

Well aware that election identity card is a must for them to prove their credentials in the Capital, nearly 98 per cent of them possess the card. As against the declining sex ratio of the Capital, it is almost equal in the slum clusters, the report says.

On the education front, a vast majority of slum dwellers are illiterate, a little over 40 per cent left their studies before Class X, only 4.5 per cent are matriculate and a mere one per cent have passed the Class XII examination.

Given their age profile, it seems there is no scope for senior citizens in the slums as after they become non-productive, the people go back to their States. But at the same time, nearly one-third of the slum population is below the age of ten. And if the population between 10-20 years of age is taken into consideration, over 55 per cent have not crossed the adolescent stage. Only 10 per cent of the slum population cross the age of 40 years.

Over two-thirds of earning members are between the age group of 20 to 40. While the average size of a family in a slum is five, in nearly three-fourth of the families there is only one earning member. Nearly one-third of them are unskilled labourers, and more than one-fourth do jobs in private companies. While, 13 per cent of them are petty vendors, 14 per cent skilled labourers, 4.6 per cent rickshaw pullers, 3.2 per cent kabaris and 3.3 per cent drivers.The revelation that nearly 90 per cent of the slum dwellers stay within less than 8 km of their place of work reflects why the relocation policy of the administration has failed to take off and explains why they sell their plots at the resettlement sites and come back again near their work place.While the average per capita income per annum comes to Rs. 7,368, one-third of them earn between Rs. 18,000 and 24,000. Only two per cent of slum dwellers have an annual income of more than Rs. 60,000 per annum. Still with this meagre income, these people are able to save some money as their average expenditure is Rs. 561 per month. The survey revealed that the entertainment expenditure for the majority of them was less than Rs. 50 per month per family. However, over two-thirds possess a television set and one-third a room-cooler.

Also, 90 per cent of them pay up to Rs. 200 per month as electricity charges to the local power mafia and nearly half of them own a bicycle.

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