ABSTRACT
Substantial expansion of the Indian cities has resulted in the emergence of slums characterized by poor housing, overcrowding and unhygienic conditions. Providing adequate water and safe sanitation are challenges that need to be addressed urgently as the practices of poor hygiene behavior and open defecation are major public health concerns. With this backdrop, the paper has focused on sanitation status, hygiene behavior and health implications in Bengaluru’s slums. Our findings are based on a survey of 20 slums across eight zones within the city representing notified and non-notified slums. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through structured and semi-structured survey instruments, focus group discussions (FGDs) and extensive review. Results revealed that 40 percent of respondents take a bath every day, 17 percent once in three days, 98.2 percent wash their hands prior to cooking and 97.2 percent before eating. Toilets are cleaned once a week (38 percent) and daily (17.75 percent). Health conditions indicate that women and children tend to suffer more. We find that non-notified areas have higher percentages of waterborne diseases as compared to respondents belonging to notified area slums. Our findings indicate that there is large scope for addressing the issue holistically through improving sanitation infrastructure and promoting good hygiene practices and policy shifts that nudge people to make decisions that are in broad self-interest.
