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Slum dewllers have doubled in India

31/ 8/2007

The Slum population in urban parts of India has more than doubled in the last two decades with Mumbai topping the list where every second person is a slum dweller reported the Hindustan Times.

According to the 2001 census, 61.8 million people reside in slums across the urban parts of the country, a sharp increase compared to 27.9 million slum population in 1981, the Lok Sabha (lower house in Parliament) was informed.

Minister of State for Urban Poverty Alleviation, Kumari Selja told the Lok Sabha recently that the 2001 census data recorded that just over half the population in Greater Mumbai lived in slums, followed by Meerut (44.1 per cent), Nagpur (35.9), Kolkata (32.5) and Thane, Maharashtra (27.8).

According to the figures, 18.7 per cent of the population in the capital resides in slums.

Mumbai Metro: Centre has received proposals from the Goverment of Maharashtra for introduction of metro rail in three corridors in Mumbai, Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken told the Lok Sabha.

He said proposals have been received for Versova-Andheri- Mankhurd, Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd and Colaba-Mahim-Bandra corridors for providing central financial assistance as per the guidelines.

Maken said Maharashtra has prepared a masterplan for introduction of metro rail system in Mumbai in nine corridors.