ABSTRACT

Mumbai, previously known as Bombay, is expected to become the seventh largest urban conglomerate in the world, with a population estimated at well over 15 million. Studies undertaken by the government and social scientists estimate that between 55 and 60 per cent of Mumbai’s population reside in slums, informal settlements characterized by structural and environmental degradation. It is estimated that approximately 40 per cent of slum households have an income below the poverty line.