Dharavi's Sanitation Problem

ABOVE PHOTO: A man refilling his water bottle in front of an open sewer. SECOND PHOTO: A little boy walks barefoot in a dark alley covered with glass, cockroaches and garbage.

Dec. 14-18
Dateline: Dharavi Slum within Mumbai
Sanitation issues are big problems for public health due to the lack of toilet facilities and raw sewage thrown into open sewers. This is further compounded by the flooding during the monsoon season. As of November 2006 there was only one toilet per 1440 residents in Dharavi. Mahim Creek, a local river, is widely used by local residents for urination and defecation leading to contagious diseases. But when some people where asked if they would leave Dharavi for a free government home (resettlement) which would have a home with its own toilet, the answer is often no. Although people lack of privacy, like when a woman squats besides the Mahim Creek, the idea of a personal flush toilet offends. As one woman stated: "To use all that water for so few people seems stupid and wasteful."