Blog
Team Social Xleration, 18th January 2023
Slums are a pervasive feature of the majority of Indian cities. The fast pace of urbanization, the concentration of jobs in cities, and the lack of affordable houses have driven scores of people to slums. The Census of India 2011 defines slums as “residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation by reasons of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangements and design of such buildings, narrowness or faulty arrangement of street, lack of ventilation, light, or sanitation facilities or any combination of these factors which are detrimental to the safety and health”.
The Census 2011 revealed that 1.37 crore households lived in 1.08 lakh slum blocks covering 63 percent of the towns and making up 17.4 percent of urban households. In August 2014, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs amended Schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013, which lists the activities that qualify as corporate social responsibility (CSR) under the Act, including slum area development. Many companies have taken cognizance of the need for it and have initiated CSR projects focused on slum development.
One company that has been working in this area is HCL Technologies through its CSR arm, the HLC Foundation. The Foundation’s flagship program, ‘HCL Uday’, provides complete support to the underprivileged who reside in urban slums and on the streets, including migrant workers and children who are employed. It provides access to clean water sources, basic healthcare and sanitation services, training for well-paying jobs, and education for children in order to assist the equitable development of these communities. The effort has so far benefited over 560,000 people in 11 Indian cities. It won the National CSR Award 2020’s Slum Area Development subcategory, which was established by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
An integrated slum development project in Rasoolpura, Hyderabad, is being carried out by Bank of America in collaboration with Humana People to People India. The project’s main goal is to comprehensively strengthen the community’s resilience through sustainable development initiatives. By integrating with government programs in slum clusters, the Project’s focused approaches aim to enhance the area’s living conditions with an emphasis on improving income, health, sanitation, and education.
P&G Health is working with the nonprofit organization Apnalaya to help its initiative to provide care for infants, expectant and young mothers in slum areas. The goal of this CSR initiative named “SEHAT” is to improve antenatal care services at government health facilities in Mumbai’s M West Ward by increasing capacity, increasing awareness, and strengthening existing programs. Over 4,000 people will directly benefit from the program.
PVR NEST, the cinema exhibition company’s CSR division, recently inaugurated ‘Garima Grih’, a significant public health infrastructure for mothers and children from Delhi’s slums and other underprivileged communities. To empower women from underrepresented groups in society, ‘Garima Grih’ is intended to offer secure, sanitary environments as well as chances for skill development and money generation. It will cater to the needs of over 10 lakh people who live in Kirti Nagar’s Jawahar Camp, Chuna Bhatti Camp, and Harijan Camp.
The above CSR efforts are welcome. Given the varying needs across the slums, such CSR projects can fulfill the different requirements of slum dwellers such as health, education, sanitation, skill development, and so on. However, it is also crucial to recognize that slum dwellers should not be looked upon as mere dole recipients, but as valuable economic contributors. A study conducted a few years ago revealed that slums in the country contributed 7.5 percent to GDP. So, it becomes all the more imperative to further improve the overall condition of slum residents through inclusive efforts. This is so that they are able to contribute more productively to society. In this context, CSR programs ought to look at a few strategies suggested by experts. This includes offering support to the government in terms of slum population mapping, providing expertise that is required by city governments, and developing replicable models for development. Such synergies will hopefully bring lasting positive impacts and improvements to slums in the country.