Mumbai: Challenges

Geography: KS3, topic 16.1.2

Housing Problems and Pollution in Mumbai (India)

Mumbai is a city which has a severe housing shortage, poor quality homes, and large amounts of pollution.

Mumbai is on an island surrounded by the Arabian Sea and two rivers so expansion is difficult.

Mumbai is currently experiencing lots of in-migration.
There is a severe housing shortage which has caused lots of slum housing.
E.g. Dharavi slums are home to 1 million people.
Lots of people now live on the wastelands at the edge of the city that flood in monsoon season.
Floodwaters have a lot of sewage in them and cause high levels of cholera and typhoid (waterborne illnesses).
77% of homes in Mumbai have poor water quality, with nitrates, arsenic and lead at non-safe concentrations.

The Dharavi slums in Mumbai have incredibly high population density. There are more people in Dharavi than in some whole countries!
Population density - 300,000 per km².
Area 2.1 km².
Population of about 700,000 people.

People sift through rubbish as a job to find useful things, being paid £1 a day.
This job is harmful to the health of workers.

22 million cars in the city cause air pollution, noise pollution and traffic issues.
Mumbai has a very good integrated train system, but people like to own cars as a status symbol to prove they are rich.

What percentage of homes in Mumbai have poor water quality, with nitrates, arsenic and lead at non-safe concentrations in it?