Author name: ikakar@georgeinstitute.org.in

Guntur Guntur, which lies next to Vijawayada, is also an old city with its municipality being established in 1866. It is famous for its chillies, attracting labourers from the state and outside state. In Guntur, the project will work in Sarada colony.  Sarada colony Sarada colony  is located in the north-western part of Guntur city, adjacent to a large swamp. Though people here claim to have lived here for at least two generations, they do not hold legal land titles. There is a looming threat of eviction at all times.  The people living here are mostly from Scheduled Caste/Dalit or Scheduled Tribe communities, most of whom identify as Christian. The community depends on a variety of informal and precarious jobs, earning about ₹200 to ₹300 per day. Men are mostly engaged in catering services on a daily wage basis, while women are involved in waste picking, hair selling, and home-based work like plucking chilli tips. Hair selling involves bartering some objects such as kitchen items for hair women shed, and then selling those to people who make extensions or wigs. This occupation, like many others this community engages in, becomes difficult during monsoons. Since work is seasonal, the people here also borrow money and often are in debt. Houses, which appear to be built by residents themselves, are packed in narrow lanes that allow at most a two-wheeler to pass through. Many houses have roofs made of tin or cement sheets, while others are semi pucca  structures, that is a combination of temporary and permanent materials, such as bricks with tin or cement sheets.  This area is subject to extreme heat waves and flooding. These houses provide little shelter from both these extreme weathers. During heavy rains, the entire stretch gets submerged in water up to knee level for sometimes up to five days. The lack of drainage systems keeps the water stagnant for days, increasing risk of mosquito-borne diseases and water-borne diseases. The tin sheets trap heat inside, making indoor conditions unbearable, especially for the elderly and children. While most households have individual toilets, the lack of a proper drainage system severely affects sanitation. The main sewage channel that runs parallel to the settlement overflows frequently during rains, leading to widespread flooding and waterlogging in the lanes. During such episodes, household and human waste enter the lanes and sometimes into homes, posing serious health risks. The absence of covered drains and stormwater channels exacerbates these problems. Garbage collection is irregular and often fails to cover the entire stretch. The waste, when not collected, accumulates in street corners or in the swamp, further polluting the environment. People also complain of mosquito infestation in the area. While most people have municipal water connections, the water supply is irregular. During the monsoon, the tap water is often contaminated. People here buy 20-liter cans of water at ₹10 each from private suppliers who claim to sell purified water. The cost adds up significantly, especially for larger families and during times of illness.  In 2023, there was an outbreak last year due alleged water contamination with more than 100 people from different parts of Guntur, including Sarada colony were rushed to the hospital with symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. A young girl, barely 18 years old, from Sarada colony died in this outbreak. Some of the packaged-water producing units were closed down by municipal authorities as a result of the outbreak, claiming that they were unauthorised.  When people who live here fall sick, they first head to a local pharmacy and get medicines (even prescription medicines can be easily procured in local pharmacies in India). They also turn to RMPs, who are private allopathic providers that do not have a medical degree recognised by the state. The community members claim that these providers provide “quick relief” usually in the form of an injection, which according to them, provides fast recovery. Two years ago, a new Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) was established nearby. As awareness has grown, residents have started to visit the UPHC, and some staff reportedly provide referrals to higher-level public hospitals when necessary. Despite this progress, there remains a strong mistrust toward public hospitals, especially the Government General Hospital (GGH), Guntur. Residents complain about long waiting hours, poor staff behaviour, and the expectation of informal payments for services. These barriers discourage them from seeking formal care unless necessary.  Common health complaints in the settlement include musculoskeletal pain, especially knee and back pain, due to the nature of their work. Fevers are also common, particularly during monsoons, when stagnant water and poor drainage create breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Shimla Shimla, the hill-top city, was the British Summer Capital. In the 19th to early 20th century, the upper slopes of the hill were developed for Imperial buildings, residences, and commercial centres. The lowest slopes of the hill settled Muslim and lower caste migrant people who worked for the city. It provided spaces for working class houses, godowns, cattle sheds, coolie quarters among others. Perched on a delicate ecosystem These areas now are at constant risk of environmental hazards such as floods, landslides and forest fires. Urban SHADE project will work on the biggest informal settlement in Shimla – Krishna Nagar- which grew during colonial times, and the relatively newer informal colony of Eidgah Mohalla in Ruldu Bhatta. Krishna Nagar Krishna Nagar is among the oldest settlements in Shimla, and was established during the British colonial rule. While the British elite built grand residences on the upper slopes of Shimla, the working class, mostly Muslim and lowered caste migrant people settled in the lower slopes of the hill or “Below Cart Road.” These persons who served the British empire were tailors, butchers, sweepers, coolies, blacksmiths, shoemakers etc. The area got a new name- Krishna Nagar after India got Independence in 1947.  The locality came up on construction debris, near the sewers and slaughter houses. The area got a new name- Krishna Nagar after India got Independence in 1947. Perched delicately on the steep lower slopes of Shimla, it is now at constant risk of hazards such as floods, landslides and forest fires. Many people here are from the lowered caste category. The residents here work in construction, casual labour, sanitation workers under municipal contract, tailor, shop assistant, small food vendor or kiosk operators. This colony has a famous Valmiki temple visited by hundreds during Valmiki Jayanti. Many families have been living for generations, but most of this area is still informal as most of the residents do not have formal papers for their houses, which are built on deemed forest land. The residents face constant threat of eviction and court orders directing demolition of unauthorised structures. Most of the houses are on encroached lands, and some families have rented houses. Despite the long history of this settlement, Krishna Nagar faces has not been planned and has poor services. It is a landslide prone area worsened by unregulated construction on fragile slopes and aged infrastructure. While many people have invested in building concrete houses, some houses are makeshift. Despite this, many houses have structural cracks, inadequate roofing and unsafe foundations. Some have even been declared unfit for habitation.  Krishna Nagar had a government Primary Health Centre (PHC). In 2013, the PHC collapsed during the landslide after extreme rains. The ward is now left with a small privately run dispensary known as  Gurudwara Singh Sabha dispensary. A building for a new PHC has been made, but the health facility is not operational yet. People with any health issue, big or small, usually end up going to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Zonal Hospital (secondary level) or Indira Gandhi Medical College (tertiary level). Since they have to go to higher hospitals for smaller health issues, it results in overcrowding and long waits in the hospitals. These invariably result in loss of wages.  During health emergencies, when ambulances are called for, people have to climb steep slopes and stairs to reach the main road where ambulances can be parked. The pathways inside the colony are too narrow and steep, and can at most allow two wheelers in some parts. These narrow lanes, and insufficient turning radius make it impossible for fire tenders to Krishna Nagar’s areas.  There are no functional drainage or sanitation systems. Drains are open and get chocked during rains leading to contamination, and increasing the risk of waterborne and vector borne diseases. Many houses are built next to the old British-era nalah or drain. During the rains the drain water often flows into the house.  Residents complain that municipal workers do not clean their area, resulting in blocked drains.  Houses are built next to these open drains.  While many people have invested in building concrete houses, some houses are makeshift. Many houses have structural cracks, inadequate roofing and unsafe foundation, and have been declared unfit for habitation. Many houses here remain damp during the rains. People here complain of suffering from musculoskeletal pain, respiratory issues, and skin diseases.  Residents do not have piped water in many parts of the settlements. In some parts, people share toilets. While there is direct water supply in this area from the Municipality, the flow of water supply is intermittent.  The ward is prone to various hazards such as earthquake, landslide, land sinking, hailstorm, fire, public health risks/ diseases, road accidents, tree falling etc. In 2023, there was a major flood in Krishna Nagar, which felled a landmark Slaughter House in the area, along with several houses. This flood killed at least two persons from the locality. Some houses were destroyed and many people had to evacuate their homes permanently as they were precarious. Eidgah Colony, Ruldu Bhatta Ruldu Bhatta is the second largest “slum” in Shimla city, second to Krishnanagar. It is home to more than 6000 residents, and is close to popular tourist destinations such as Scandal Point. Eidgah colony is the biggest informal settlement in Ruldu Bhatta. The ward is elevated and has steep hairpin bends, making it difficult for vehicles to ply.  Some roads are broken and damaged making it difficult to even walk. Nearly 90 percent of people here live in interior lanes with poor accessibility to motorable roads. Emergency services and fire tenders find it difficult to enter Ruldu Bhatta. The colony has mostly migrant workers from other North Indian states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. These workers are mostly informal or daily wage labourers, carpenters, welders, construction labourers,often seen walking in a line towards the main road in the mornings.  A significant number of houses in the area are built on unstable slopes. The construction of houses inside Eidgah

Dhows in Kilifi creek. By Michelle Mergler, Wikipedia commons Kilifi is a coastal town, close to Mombasa. The town lies on Kilifi creek and sits on the estuary of Goshi river also known as Voi River. Half the population in this town are estimated to live in informal settlements.  Kilifi had a huge cashewnut  production as well as processing factory which shut down because of various reasons in the 1990s. Much of the migration to the city happened because of the cashewnut industry, which is getting revived slowly now. The informal settlements cater to many who migrated here for work. The Pwani university, which was established in 2007, also provides jobs for people here. Some others who live in informal settlements have small informal businesses or engage in small trade activities. Urban SHADE is working in the informal settlement of Mibuyu Saba. Mibuyu Saba Mibuyu Saba is located in Kilifi township and is close to the Indian Ocean. The settlement is a result of the earlier roaring cashew industry. Most people here have been settled here for decades, even though they do not have a title deed. The land belongs to Kilifi town council. Some houses here are still thatched, while some have iron sheets for roofs. There are some multi-family Swahili style houses with a compound and multiple houses. The houses though are structurally stronger than the ones in Mombasa’s informal settlements because of the use of stone, which is locally available, to build walls. The settlement is vulnerable to flooding, strong winds, and high temperature. There are threats of eviction, but a process of formalisation is underway. Because of its proximity to the university, there is growing interest by private developers to develop this land. The residents have been engaging in efforts to formalize their ownership since 1986 when they formed the Mibuyu Saba Squatter Formalisation Scheme. This scheme was approved in 2007 when some lanes were approved for building houses. However, the process has been stalled for various reasons at the moment. While toilets are relatively accessible, the settlement has no proper sewer system, and therefore there is no pathway for the water to drain, resulting in flooding during rains. Water supply and electricity is adequate, but subject to contamination due to poor drainage. A waterpoint in Mibuyu Saba around poor drainage.