mumbai

Question 1

Why has Mumbai grown so rapidly?

Answer 1

In recent years Mumbai has grown rapidly
This has been mainly due to RURAL – URBAN MIGRATION

People move from the countryside to the city due to PUSH and PULL factors.

PUSH factors are problems which drive them away from the countryside eg

• Lack of jobs / Difficult jobs / Poorly paid jobs.
• Poor housing
• Lack of services eg hospitals, schools, entertainments.
• Poverty
• Natural disasters eg drought, crop failure, floods.

PULL factors are benefits which attract people to the city eg

• More jobs / better paid jobs
• More services (schools, hospitals, entertainments)
• Better housing.

There is also a very HIGH BIRTH RATE in Mumbai which causes a NATURAL INCREASE in population in addition to migration.

Question 2

what are the housing problems in Mumbai caused by Rapid Growth.

Answer 2

PROBLEMS OF SHANTY TOWNS

FOR EXAMPLE DHARAVI

With so many people moving to Mumbai there are not enough houses so many people set up makeshift ‘shacks’ on waste ground. Initially these are called squatter settlements but over time become more permanent and develop into SHANTY TOWNS eg Dharavi. These have the following problems.

• Poor quality makeshift homes (from scrap material)
• Most homes have no electricity or gas
• Open sewers and lack of clean water.
• Diseases such as cholera are widespread
• Few rubbish collections, so rubbish is dumped on streets creating breeding ground for rats and disease.
• High unemployment and low paid jobs cause extreme poverty
• Social problems such as drugs and crime
• Few schools, lack of healthcare.

Question 3

how could the housing problem in Mumbai be solved?

Answer 3

Solutions to the problems of DHARAVI shanty town (explanations in brackets)

1. Improve the shanty towns by
   a. Providing clean water pipes, and sewage systems (to reduce disease such as cholera)
   b. Provide more public toilets, (as it is not possible to provide a toilet in every home)
   c. Provide safe Electricity & Gas etc. (so homes can have heating and lighting)
   d. Introduce rubbish collections (to prevent rubbish being dumped on the street which attract rats and spreads disease).
   e. Providing basic health centres and schools for local people.
2. Self-help schemes: Local people are given building materials and grants of money to allow them to improve their homes. (Allows people to become self-sufficient and is cheaper than rebuilding)
3. Dharavi Redevelopment project
   Small areas of Dharavi have been demolished and new low cost high flats have been built. (These have clean water toilets and electricity and solve the problems of overcrowding as they are multi storey- but too expensive / complex to help everyone)
4. A New town called NAVI MUMBAI has been built on the edge of the city. (This has successfully provided homes for 1million people so reduced overcrowding in the slums)