SLUMS AS SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTS: A CASE STUDY OF ROHTAK CITY

ABSTRACT

Urban population in India is growing rapidly due to rapid migration from rural to urban areas in search of employment opportunities and better socio-economic conditions. Most of these migrants get engaged in unskilled and semi-skilled jobs where they get very low wages due to which they can’t afford to pay high rent and cost of property. Therefore, they find solution in the form of slums, which remains affordable to them but lacks basic amenities. These urban are generally identified by their closely packed   dilapidated, unplanned or unauthorized small and unsafe houses, densepopulation, unhygienic conditions, least municipal services, water and air pollution, criminals, foul smell, stray animals and poverty etc. Though government authorities and local bodies have some plans for improving these areas but they are unable to address the ground level problems. The problem can be addressed through developing affordable housing and developing employment opportunities in rural areas and small cities. The paper concludes that along with the issue of poverty which lays on the ground of unemployment must be considered while making of policy by the state authorities for these areas. Unemployment leads to poverty, which in turn leads to miserable human life in slum areas.  

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