One Man's Slum Is Another's Recycling Mecca

April 22, 2008

One million people live in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, located in Mumbai, India. Despite squalor conditions typical of slums, Dharavi is home to a booming recycling industry.

Two-hundred thousand of the slum dwellers work in the 15,000 single-room recycling factories. Nearly every household item from surrounding areas is recycled, including plastic, paper, candles, paint chips, and soap. Wait . . . soap? Not sure how that works, but cool!

The slum turned recycling hub may soon be recycled itself. India's government has plans to turn Mumbai — which is already a thriving economic center — into India's Shanghai. Under the plan "Vision Mumbai," Dharvai will be demolished, and replaced with simple high-rise blocks for its current residents, as well as shopping malls and luxury apartments.

Hopefully, the small-scale industry, which supports the community and the environment, will survive the massive redevelopment plan. Are you happy to see the demolition of the slum, or worried that it will ignore the already marginalized? When gentrification is inevitable, what is the best way to incorporate the existing population?

And, check out some beautiful pictures from Dharvai.

View 5 Photos ›

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12 Comments

Jenny86 5 years 4 weeks

Interesting indeed.

Jenny86 5 years 4 weeks

Interesting indeed.

yesteryear 5 years 4 weeks

i wonder how many lung and other diseases these people have developed from living in garbage and having to (by the looks of those photos) recycle it with their own hands. gentrification is a word you use when people in apartments in chicago are pushed out for new expensive development and/or hipsters move in or something. it's a little different in the developing world. here are people who are LIVING IN GARBAGE... and according to the article, the current city will be "replaced with simple high-rise blocks for its current residents", so it sounds like they are providing for the current residents, and perhaps improving their quality of life.

yesteryear 5 years 4 weeks

i wonder how many lung and other diseases these people have developed from living in garbage and having to (by the looks of those photos) recycle it with their own hands.gentrification is a word you use when people in apartments in chicago are pushed out for new expensive development and/or hipsters move in or something. it's a little different in the developing world. here are people who are LIVING IN GARBAGE... and according to the article, the current city will be "replaced with simple high-rise blocks for its current residents", so it sounds like they are providing for the current residents, and perhaps improving their quality of life.

Auntie Coosa 5 years 4 weeks

It's not going to work. The people working in the slum haven't been asked what THEIR opinion is and if they'll live in the "high rises" -- perhaps they'll believe that "their" piece of land is being confiscated for the "common good" (sounds like Marxism and Socialism). Remember how most of us howled at the new "right to immanent domain" policy the Courts threw at us, or was it WalMart and Congress? Anyway, we HOWLED and we have a voice and cities can't just plow over someone's home and build a Wal-Mart.These poor people have self-esteem because they were able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, except in this case, they were barefoot, so they had to use the skin of their hands and sweat of their brows.If India doesn't include these people in their plans, the people will disappear and reappear at another garbage dump. And you have to admire them for their entrepreneurial ingenuity. If they lived in the USofA, they could apply for a grant or a small business loan.

Auntie Coosa 5 years 4 weeks

It's not going to work. The people working in the slum haven't been asked what THEIR opinion is and if they'll live in the "high rises" -- perhaps they'll believe that "their" piece of land is being confiscated for the "common good" (sounds like Marxism and Socialism). Remember how most of us howled at the new "right to immanent domain" policy the Courts threw at us, or was it WalMart and Congress? Anyway, we HOWLED and we have a voice and cities can't just plow over someone's home and build a Wal-Mart. These poor people have self-esteem because they were able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, except in this case, they were barefoot, so they had to use the skin of their hands and sweat of their brows. If India doesn't include these people in their plans, the people will disappear and reappear at another garbage dump. And you have to admire them for their entrepreneurial ingenuity. If they lived in the USofA, they could apply for a grant or a small business loan.

mini_pixie 5 years 4 weeks

I really hope they go against expectations, and really make the new development someplace the current residents can afford to and are welcome to stay in. There's always a first for everything!

mini_pixie 5 years 4 weeks

I really hope they go against expectations, and really make the new development someplace the current residents can afford to and are welcome to stay in. There's always a first for everything!

amh678 5 years 4 weeks

That is really interesting!

amh678 5 years 4 weeks

That is really interesting!

stephley 5 years 4 weeks

Of course the redevelopment won't ingore the already marginalized, it'll push them off what little piece of the world they have. The kind of people who would be drawn to India's new Shanghai aren't going to want them getting dirt in the stores or near the luxury apartments.

syako 5 years 4 weeks

It bugs me when people say things like "india's shanghai" :? It's so strange and contrived sounding. Why not just be yourself. I'm going to be Kansas's New Orleans. I mean, really!? What is up with that?

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