Mumbai slums since independence: Evaluating the policy outcomes

The urbanization process in Mumbai is closely integrated with housing crisis and informality in settlement growth. Slums have emerged as a significant settlement form, catering to the housing demand of a large section of the population of Mumbai, primarily for the urban poor. Statistics show that nearly half of the Mumbai population lives in slum areas which in turn spatially occupy a very small portion of the city. Since 1947 (i.e., after independence), a range of policies related to housing and slums have been implemented at various points of time in the city planning framework. However, the housing crisis situation has worsened over time and resulted in further slum growth. In the past, research has concentrated on spatio-temporal identification and spread of slums. However, the policy impacts on reduction of slums is relatively a less touched area, especially in developing cities like Mumbai. In this study, authors argue that the housing and land policies implemented in Mumbai to solve the problem of slums have actually provided the momentum to the undercurrents that fuel further proliferation of informality. The paper analyses these policies chronologically and focuses on the persuasive top down approach of policy implementation. Using the framework of bounded rationality, authors develop a “cause-effect” model to identify the impact of ten major housing and land policies implemented since independence. Further, a gap coherence analysis revealed the lack of participation of direct stakeholders (i.e., the slum dwellers). The study proposes participatory approach as an alternative to the current policy frameworks. Internalizing the strengths of the actual users in the policy framework may unlock the opportunities for the success of the policies.