Rapid Urbanisation in Dhaka & continuous sufferings in slum dwellers

Development is a continuous process of being developed in order to reduce poverty, unemployment, and inequality among all income groups. The word development implies changes of the living standard in human life in every aspect which is related to all fundamental needs like food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, education and also access to other facilities including sanitation. Human development is concerned with the well being of all human lives. It includes the development of slum dwellers lively hood as well. But the slum population is derived mostly from the basic needs of development. The low-income group of the population receives a low level of facilities of basic fundamental human needs especially the urban slum areas in Dhaka city or we can say the cities around the country. The slum population is increasing every day due to the rapid urbanisation in the capital of Bangladesh, but the quality of human development is negligible in all aspects here.

It is true that Globalisation and poverty both have historical roots and they are deeply linked to each other. The mode of transportation and improvement of communication, as well as an improved transportation system, make the mobility of human being easy. So everyday city population is increasing dramatically to find out a better life. People tend to migrate from villages to urban areas. This is a major cause of increasing slum dwellers in cities like Dhaka. 

I'm sharing my work on "sanitation on slum" with you to let everyone be aware of the fact of the insufficiency in sanitation and to prevailing facilities in the increasingly swelling slum population in Dhaka- the capital of Bangladesh. One of the major crises the city slum population are in is a limited number of latrine facility in a slum area or poor neighbourhood, overwhelming volume of sanitation paucity and its allied factors along with it. I would like to highlight and identify & isolate the flaws of sanitation and disposal that got totally blocked causing backflow inundation. Also, present availability of facilities if exists at all.

As because of unending columns of displaced men creeping in city slums owners dump them in existing shelters. Latrine facilities are so meagre that they litter everywhere they find it easy. The latrines are framed by bamboos & logs over & around the ditch, open pits or abandoned pools. The ablution water is miserably polluted in a small container. In the rainy season, these unconnected ditches flow all around seeps in shelters & drinking water pumped out sinking PVC pipes linked with manual tube well supra-structure. 

Rapid and unplanned urbanisation disproportionate to per capita income brings alarming density of slum population. The issues turn insurmountable problems for low budget government planning & execution, worth mentioning, 1.sanitation 2. Pollution 3. disposal of sewage & sewerage with existing facilities is almost impossible, causing backflow 4. illiteracy, vocational education absence lead the adolescents to crime, addiction & female trafficking etc 5.vaccination facilities & its importance outweighs large-scale spread of infectious diseases. 20% of the people of Bangladesh live in urban areas. The literacy rate is up to 20%, primary vaccination only 32% are primarily vaccinated. Due to the proper sanitation system and lack of preventing measures of diseases, the city slum open-pit latrines are spreading diseases and child mortality is still alarming.   

Dhaka is one of the biggest megacities in the world. 

Every day thousands of people are coming in search of a better livelihood.  The unplanned urbanization in Dhaka city makes them vulnerable in many ways. They are at risk of nutrition, ill health, illiteracy, corruption, environmental pollution and so on. Poverty makes their lives vulnerable to access to proper sanitation systems as well other health-related issues. 

I would like to address this issue for us to look at their vulnerability to economic and environmental shocks and stresses and the situations they are facing every day. Shall we be silent or we should raise our voice against it!!