Hyderabad: Hyderabad has the second largest population of urban poor in cities in India - 23 per cent. This means out of 100 Hyderabadis, 23 are poor. Other major cities fare much better; the figure is eight per cent for Delhi, six per cent for Kolkata and 20 per cent for Chennai. Mumbai has the highest number of urban poor at 27 per cent.
The poor live in 775 notified urban slums in Hyderabad, with Indiranagar and Bushannagar having the largest concentrations. It’s a sobering thought that the growth of the urban poor in the city is directly proportionate to the economic growth of Hyderabad, reflected in the expansion of the information technology (IT) industry, manufacturing, integrated Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and the film industry. Recently, real estate and construction activity has been playing a major role in economic development and employment generation. All this has attracted labour to the city.
Musi River
Dr Narendar Reddy Chirra, consultant with a private social institute in Hyderabad that deals with issues of the urban poor, said that “around 80-90 per cent of the migratory population is construction workers, and the remaining are domestic help.”
He said the number of urban poor has been increasing over a decade. Shelter, food and travel are not very expensive in Hyderabad which makes it possible for poor people to survive here.
Railway lines- Hyderabad
Marri Aditya Reddy of the MCR Foundation that works in skill development says pro-poor policies and programmes exist and should reduce the numbers of people living below the poverty line, but these do not trickle down to the needy.
The poor are not registered in many government schemes and so don’t get to avail of the benefits.
City’s reality
770 Notified slums in Hyderabad Urban Authority area. More than nine lakh people live in them.
13% Of city’s total population is the BPL population.
811 slums, 387 recognised as ‘developed’, and have been recommended for de-listing.
- Official state government data shows 5.4 lakh people below poverty line (BPL), of which 4.3 lakh are in core city area, rest in surrounding municipalities.
- Slums, concentrated in old city of Hyderabad, are now spreading to the outskirts.
- Slums in HUA area are on state and central government lands, municipal and quasi-government lands, Abadi land, private and unclaimed lands.
- Recently real estate and construction activity has played a major role in economic development and employment generation, which has attract.
- 80-90% of the migratory population are construction workers, and the remaining domestic help.
10 slums in the old city area
Patel Nagar
Aman Nagar (1)
Aman Nagar (2)
Valmiki Nagar
Siddiqui Nagar (1)
Siddiqui Nagar (2)
Bhavani Nagar (1)
Bhavani Nagar (2)
Nasheman Nagar (1)
Nasheman Nagar (2)
Two prime reasons for rise in urban poor population
- Increase in migration.
- Increase in employment- (GHMC) has given over 8,700 building permissions in the past one year (2016-17) against 6,100 in 2015-16.
Slum settlements are concentrated near
- Railway lines
- Musi river
- Other water bodies.
- Nallas flowing on the either Musi or Hussainsagar lake.
