Ever wonder what it feels like living in the world’s largest slum? Mumbai in India has been known not only for its tourist attraction but also for its slums.

World’s Largest Slum: What You Need to Know?

There are countless ways to spend your days traveling to Mumbai – the commercial capital of India. You’ll experience the Bollywood tours and witness the world’s largest film industry. 

You may also stroll along Marine Drive and visit Elephanta Island or Lord Shiva. Or, if you like chilling out, you may enjoy and hang out your cup of tea at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. 

But behind all these dazzling places in the city, did you know that Mumbai also has the world’s largest slum? Yes, that’s right. It may seem absurd when you think about the world’s largest slum, but the fact that there are plenty of things you can do in a city, there’s this “poverty tourism”, as they call it. 

Let’s find out here. 

Dharavi is World’s Largest Slum

Infamous as the world’s largest slums, Dharavi is found in the financial capital of India – Mumbai. 

Dharavi is seen by many as a city that is just within a city. It has an endless stretch of dirty lanes, cramped huts, and open sewers. Also, while the land area of 536 acres is government-owned, the houses are being maintained by individuals. 

Creation of Dharavi 

The world’s largest slum, called Dharavi, started in 1884. The fisherfolk first inhibited it when the place was still swamps or creeks. The place became so attractive to those migrant workers from South Mumbai and the others when swamps started to fill in because of artificial and natural causes.

From there, the area became big as the poor rural Indians became an urban Mumbai and were known to many as the world’s largest slum. 

Other than that, the film industry also played a vital role in bringing the world’s largest slum to prominence. Dhavari was featured in films such as the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire and the recent Gully Boy. 

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Everything to Know About Living in World’s Largest Slums 

If you just think about it, living in a slum must be challenging. Dharavi has suffered disasters and epidemics, which include the widespread plague in 1896. 

A slum could be defined as a ‘residential area where the dwellings are not fit for humans to live because of overcrowding, dilapidation, lacking ventilation or sanitation facilities and having some drinking water facilities in such an unhygienic condition.’

It killed more than half of Mumbai’s population. And like many others, the slum in Mumbai lacks sanitation provisions like safe drinking, drains, roads, water, or any basic services. 

Now, let’s talk about what life is like in this community.

Water and Sanitation

In most slums, one toilet is shared by about 5 families on average. Many people use bushes or open fields to do their business. Unfortunately, it contributes to the spreading of diseases such as cholera within the community. 

Filth and Garbage 

We usually see dumps of garbage everywhere. However, when you’re in the world’s largest slum, their dumped waste emanates a foul odor while the ground becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies that carry diseases with them. 

The children are also playing near the dump and are at risk of getting infected with a fatal disease. And you know what happens during the rainy seasons? You can see standing water everywhere – which spreads all kinds of waterborne diseases. 

Untidy Toilets

The common toilets in the slums were usually in untidy conditions. Lots of them had no privacy or doors or even had no latches. The only enclosures there are for taking showers, without a tap connection and doors. You’ll see that the toilets were full and the water supply pipes were not working. 

School Condition 

Schools in the world’s largest slum are unlike what you’ve usually known as schools. It has its municipality school, and there is no electricity or water. 

Toilets are not working, and fans in the classrooms are not working to the extent that students are drenched in sweat while they try to study. 

Public Parks 

If you’re used to having parks in your city where you can have a picnic and see children playing around, in slums, they turned parks into dump yards. 

It turned into a piece of barren land filled with garbage and water everywhere. That is why all the dingy lanes are littered with rubbish, where children would turn it into a playground. 

Destructed Houses 

Can you imagine living in cramped houses? Of course, you would know that it’s difficult to imagine the conditions of houses unless you have experienced living in the world’s largest slum. 

There are about 6-8 people who share cramped houses. They will only know how many people could fit in a small room. The streets are also narrow, and their sewage water stagnates in an open drain, which emits a bad odor. 

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Frequently Asked Questions 

Still curious about what it’s like to live in the world’s largest slum? Here are some questions that most people ask. 

Wrapping Up

Even if we only think of visiting slums like the Dhavari slum would make us feel nauseated and suffocated. Upon knowing all these things about life in the slum, you can’t help but feel so sorry about the inhuman conditions trying to cover the reality. 

But it’s never too late to keep India, or any country with slums, beautiful. There are still ways to improve the conditions. It may be such a task, but with efforts from the people and Government, Dhavari, or India as a whole, will keep its real beauty.