Watch: Study Shows 2,000 Slums in Bengaluru, Govt Records Show 597

Photo used for representational purposes only. 

(Photo Courtesy: Max Pixel Blog)

Video Editor: Veeru Krishan Mohan

The Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, in partnership with global impact investment firm Omidyar Network and the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) recently commissioned a report on the slums of Bangalore, which has compiled some interesting data.

The study largely focuses on mapping these irregular settlements and cataloguing slums using technology such as high-resolution satellite imagery and geospatial analysis.

One of the main findings in the report is the presence of 2,000 slums in Bengaluru, although government records list 597 slums only.

In a conversation with The Quint, Roopa Kudva, Managing Director of Omidyar India talks about what how the survey observed an anomaly.

About a third of the urban population in the world (~30 million) live in irregular/informal settlements/slums (UNDP, 2017). These settlements are at the core of many urban regions around the world, yet they are vastly undercounted or uncounted in official estimates. In urban areas, they often surpass formal settlements, when counted. However, identifying irregular settlements, mapping and monitoring them using traditional approaches is costly and labour intensive.

Enter technology.

“Satellite imagery can help us do [surveying of slums] much faster, much cheaper and much more accurately and comprehensively. And now you have machine learning algorithms which help you clearly identify slums by things like the blue or yellow tarpaulin roofs, for example.”

Roopa Kudva

The goal is to help the government identify the number and situation of slums through an accurate and detailed survey of these slums and the quality of life therein, which in turn will help the government check on land titles for slum dwellers, taxes and overall civic development of the area.

Other key insights include the untapped economic potential of these slums – that a typical Bangalore slum sells for an average of Rs 15 lakhs, that there are differences within clusters of slums and similarities in each cluster, and that slums are not transitory in nature, as many believe. The survey found families living in slums for generations or an average of 20 years.

Understanding human settlement patterns in rapidly urbanising cities with ever-growing population is important as it builds stress on civic resources and public utilities. New technologies such as these can help civic authorities plan better.