Slums will be developed once the land to construct houses has been decided, said officials from Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB).
A shortage of land to construct houses for developing slum areas in the city is resulting in a shortage of basic infrastructure for slum dwellers.
Christy from engineering cell in Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB) said that the board has been negotiating with private property owners to provide land for slum development. She said, “Our aim is to clear the slums in Bangalore and move the people to a better place.” She added that once they find lands to move people in the slum, the work to construct houses will start.
People who live in slums feel that houses with good infrastructure will help them. Slum dwellers from Anjanappa Garden slum are suffering because the slum doesn’t have any basic facility.
Jeevitha, who is living in Anjanappa Garden slum said, “If the government could take any steps in developing our slum with basic facilities, it would help us.” She said that she is a choultry worker and the money she earns is only sufficient to support her son’s education and not enough to move out of the slum.
Kavitha, who also lives in the same slum said that they don’t have clean toilet facility. She said, “If the government could help in building basic facilites, then our children may grow in a surrounding that has proper toilet facility and infrastructure.”
According to Karnataka Slum Development Act, the slum that is considered for redevelopment must include improving hygienic conditions of the slum.
Jancy, from Action Aid which is a non- governmental organisation (NGO) said that the promises for developing the slums are made only during elections, but no development processes are taking place after that. “Most of the slums in the city lack basic facilities,” she said. During rainy seasons the slum dwellers suffer a lot to get clean drinking water. She added, “Unclean toilets affect their health hence development of the slum is important for their betterment.” “The government is concentrating only on developing infrastructure of the city,” said she.
