INTRODUCTION:
The rapid population growth, lack of basic facilities and need of income generation has forced the large scale rural urban migration.
This has encouraged the land mafia to take economic benefit out of this situation resulting in large scale slum and squatter settlements around developed housing schemes.
These areas are source of providing labor and cheap markets for the settlers of developed areas and so they do not deter their development.
Sattu Katla was once a village which has transformed into a squatter and slum settlement adjacent to the developed housing schemes of WECHS and NECHS Lahore.
The area is currently occupied by the tenants with very few owners residing in it. They are from the poor community which moved here from various small towns around Lahore.
The area is deprived of civic facilities at very basic level. The research is focused on the problem identification and their solutions that are faced by the community of such areas. The paper aims to highlight the various measures that could be taken to upgrade such areas. Furthermore it will create awareness among the concerned authorities about the improvement in quality of life of the inhabitants therein.
Pakistan faces a higher growth rate of population in rural areas resulting in great pressure of rural-urban migration on the urban centres. The rural migrants looking for job opportunities settle around the squatter settlements on city’s peripheral areas. These settlements lack or have unplanned and inadequate infrastructure facilities. The pressure of population accelerates the already miserable conditions of clean water, sanitation and other environmental conditions of these settlements. The phenomenon is continuing and accordingly the increase in poor quality of urbanization. The following data shows the seriousness of situation.
Population in Pakistan: 190 million (Group, 2016)
Number of people in slums: 26.6 million
Percentage of urban population in slums: 48%
Percentage of urban population in slums in Lahore city: more than 50%
LOCATION:
The Satu Katla village is located towards east side of WAPDA Town & south side of Sattu Katla drain. Previously it was a village, as old as the city of Lahore but after rapid growth of the Lahore city it became a part of it. Area of Sattu Katla village is approximately 0.6 square kilometers. People living in this village are legal occupants and all the plots are registered. There are some illegal occupants along the periphery of the drain. Population of Sattu Katla village is approximately 20,000.
Available Facilities in the Village:
Electricity and natural gas.
A few private clinics.
Govt. primary schools for girls and boys.
Small shops are available in the village for daily usable items but main commercial markets are outside the village.
SCOPE OF WORK:
The scope of work for up gradation study of Sattu Katla village, Lahore is as follows:-
Data collection.
Identification of critical problems.
Possible recommendation and solutions for its development.
OBJECTIVES:
The main objective of the study is to identify the problems faced by the occupants and propose solutions for the improvements and betterment of this slum settlement.
To provide better infrastructure, health, educational & commercial facilities to the residents of this area.
To propose some solution to the concerned authorities for the development in the eminence of life of the residents.
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METHODOLOGY:
Site Surveys
Visits
In-depth Interviews
Discussions
Photographs
Literature Review: Thesis Reports, Journal Articles, Books, Google map.
LITERATURE REVIEW:
DEFINITION OF SLUMS
Sub-standard housing settlements which are though part of urban areas but lack the infrastructure facilities considered mandatory for an urbanized living areas are labelled as slums. They are characterized by social and economic isolation, unplanned layout and poor condition of sanitation and environmental quality. Visually these give a clear picture of disparity in the economic levels, quality of life, availability of civic amenities, education level and type of housing structures and civic sense as well among the residents of the same city. The pressure of illegal occupants in haphazard manner all along the unattended state and private lands add further to the miserable picture of the area. Slum settlements can be characterised by the various factors i.e., poor hygienic environment, low income levels, having inhuman living conditions projecting the poverty levels of residents. In developing countries these are generally in the form of unplanned crowded having limited access to basic urban services. Inhabitants of such area are prone to high risk of various diseases and increased rate of mortality. Unfortunately in-spite of high technological developments and level of awareness about human rights and quality of life, in the 21st century, there are more than a billion people still living in slums.
A slum generally lacks the following five qualities:
-Provision of clean water supply
-Provision of safe sanitation system
-Possession of legal land title.
-Non-hazardous and planned locality
-Adequate house size
Slums must be seen as a result of following reasons:
-High urbanization rate.
-The failure of housing policies.
-Laws and delivery of national urban policies.
-Lack of urban planning & development control.
-Extension of boundaries of Urban Centres.
-Poor management.
-Bad governance
-Corruptions, irregularities in enforcement of laws
-Dis-functional land market due to presence of land mafia.
-Unresponsive financial system
-Lack of political Will
IDENTIFICATION OF CRITICAL PROBLEMS
1. Water Supply System
Water supply system is not available.
Some residents have their own arrangement through ground bores within their houses. The provision of water supply to the residents saves their time ,cost spend for the search of water and improves hygienic conditions. (Hirotsugu Aiga, 2002) the present condition is not only costly for individuals but causing health problems due to contaminated water.
2. Sewerage System
-There is open drain system.
-Condition of drains is very pitiable.
-Some streets are without drainage system and water flows freely on streets.
-Smelly and dirty areas due to open drainage.
-A couple of streets towards PCSIR society & near Sattu Katla drain have covered drainage system which people have developed with their own efforts. For rest of the village residents are taking no initiative for development including government agencies.
3. Streets
-Photographs shows the different widths of streets, most of them are 20 to 25 feet (6m) wide.
-Mostly streets are without pavements.
-Streets are dirty, ugly and littered.
-Difficult for vehicular movement.
-Due to open drainage system pedestrians face difficulty in walking through streets.
-In rainy season water stays for many days adding more miseries to the residents.
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4. Garbage Collection
-No garbage collection system is present.
-People throw garbage in streets, fallow land and open plots.
-Space around Sattu Katla drain is also used to throw garbage. Sattu Katla drain is full of garbage and seems to be blocked near all the bridge points.
5. Miscellaneous Facilities
Following facilities are also not available:
-Hospital
-Community center
-Parks
-Playground
-Requirement of another mosque
-Main commercial market
-Signage
6. Organizational structure
The community totally lacks any management system having involvement of local resident’s representation. Development depends upon the will and interest of local bodies, elected counselors and the budget allocated if any by the government.
SLUM UPGRADING
The improvement of slums is a process of interruption in the physical, socio economic and legal status of prevailing human communities. Slum up-grading through proper planning and with the involvement of local community and concerned authorities ensures an economical and organized environmental improvement.
-It is evident from international research that several countries are now setting following standards for the up gradation of slums. (Uganda, 2008).
-More attention towards land regularization and legalization of tenure.
-Implementation of research methodology to workout regular financing systems to ensure the sustainability of program.
-Devise system of community participation for financial contribution through personal savings.
-Promote real estate marketing activity.
-Provision of infrastructure service step by step but continuously.
-Ensure integrated approach for land supply, housing development and its marketing.
-Setup workable system among different stakeholders.
-A recognized approach for slum upgrading should not be limited to provision of the housing and infrastructure services but it must addresses the root cause that is the urban poverty.
Through experience it is determined that implementation of following inclinations is necessary for the success of slum up gradation:
-Building polices and an empowered local government.
-Proper setup of the organization.
-Cooperation and participation of the dwellers.
-Integration between different stakeholders i.e., government and the community.
-Arrangement of finances.
-Mechanism for proper planning, implementation and coordination between various activities and stakeholders.
Combining inclinations successfully has been based on the following features particularly;
-Political commitment and policies for the controlling and upgrading slums.
-Formulating land reforms to benefit the poor.
-Amplification of slum improvement and to prevent future slum growth through utilization of domestic resources.
POTENTIALS
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