Mumbai has the largest slum population of any city in the world estimated 6.5 million people. More than half of Mumbai’s population lives in extremely poor conditions in slums, which lack access to basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity and healthcare. Amongst these urban poor communities in Mumbai, the M East Ward is the lowest ranking ward with respect to the Human Development Index (HDI). The area is adjacent to Asia’s oldest and second largest dumping ground and has an average age at death of 39. Residents typically live in 10×15 homes, often without toilets and other sanitation facilities.
Located in the northern edge of Mumbai, M East Ward is home to over 8,07,720 residents, according to Census 2011. It spreads over a large expanse of Chembur, Govandi, Deonar and Mankhurd, covering over 256 slums. Access to government facilities, including primary healthcare centres and schools is scarce and NGOs in Mumbai such as Apnalaya try to make up for this apathy.
Some of the critical problems faced by the urban-poor communities in M East Ward include a high infant mortality rate, severe malnourishment in children, growing number of out-of-school children, lack of basic infrastructure and absence of basic human entitlements. As one of the leading NGOs in Mumbai focused on elevating urban poor communities, Apnalaya has been addressing all of these urgent needs and more.
At an individual level, we help members of these communities gain access to basic needs that are necessary for survival, such as water, electricity, sanitation, healthcare, education and opportunities for livelihood. At a community level, we empower them through imparting civic education, building a cadre of community volunteers, and organising people into civic action groups that can engage with municipal authorities on issues of common concern. Over the years, we have recorded significant improvement in the quality of life and access to entitlements in the M East Ward. Of course, there’s a long way to go and we invite your participation in helping us uplift the poorest of the urban poor.
