VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

The painful past of Bhopal is inseparable from the perilous living conditions of the gas tragedy victims who continue to live by the walls of the Union Carbide factory. The contamination lurks in the vicinity of the factory, continuing to harm the survivors, and spread across 160 slums within the city. These slums are completely cut off from the rest of the city without any attempt to upgradation. They lack the basic facilities required to lead a healthy life. The closely packed tin houses are merely 300-400 square feet in area, lack sufficient inlet of daylight and ventilation, and have up to eight people residing in them. This research is an attempt to understand how the living standards of the slum dwellers can be improved in terms of socio-economic stability and inclusivity by inspecting the settlements in terms of physical properties and their ability to encourage healthy social relationships, through measurable spatiotemporal vectors and qualitative aspects that impact their living conditions. The analysis draws on field observations and would be acquired by interviews and discussions. Jaiprakash Nagar and Kechi Chola are the slums identified for the study based on their proximity to the factory. Community participation must be encouraged at all stages of creating spaces and systems that would ensure recovery, rehabilitation, equitable distribution of resources and generate employment and education opportunities. Systems of case surveillance and environmental monitoring would benefit these communities and help with grievance riddance. A sustainable and inclusive society can be shaped over time with safer physical and social environments, suitable policy enforcement, and improved human capital.