• Corporate
• Markets
• Info-Tech
• Marketing
• Money & Banking
• Agri-Biz & Commodities
• Industry & Economy
• Logistics
• Government
• Variety
• States
• Web Extras
• Index

• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager
• BL Club
• Smartbuy
• Books
• Gallery

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

• Rates

• Ports

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth
• Events 2007

Subscription

• Business Line

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• Business Line
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

MUMBAI: Dharavi, which is in the heart of India's financial capital Mumbai, is not the largest slum in Asia as many believe, according to a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“Dharavi is not Asia's largest slum, but Karachi's Orangi Township has surpassed Dharavi,'' the Human Development Report for Mumbai, compiled with the help of UNDP and released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said. Mexico City's Neza-Ch alco-Itza barrio has four times as many people as Dharavi, it said. Dharavi, a congested slum area, being used as workplaces adds to several risks, including fire and health that houses nearly 57,000 families, the report said.

Dharavi, often associated with crime, filth and environmental degradation mainly due to congestion, bad constructions, unauthorised trades and overpopulation, covers parts of suburban Sion, Bandra, Kurla and Kalina and is spread across 175 hectares. It has grabbed global attention after Danny Boyle's film, 'Slumdog Millionaire.' “Chemicals including acid are known to flow through Dharavi's open drains because of tanning activity that flourishes there,'' the report added. - PTI

Prev: TRAI wants DoT to consult it on uniform licence fee

Copyright copy; 2009, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line