A shanty town is a settlement of shacks made out of mud and wood. A typical shanty town is squatted and in the beginning doesn’t have enough infrastructure, such as safe water supply, electricity and street drainage. Sod Houses
What is life like in shanty towns?
The area of were slum houses are, are called shanty towns. For people who live in shanty town life is very hard. Not only the houses are small and cramped but the area were they are based are too. Most shanty towns don't have access to clean water and electricity.
What are shanty towns made of?
A shanty town, also known as a squatter settlement, is a slum settlement (could be illegal or unauthorized) made up of ‘homes’ made from plywood, metal, and cardboard boxes. Often these towns do not have proper sanitation, water or electricity.
What is the definition of a shanty town?
2. <ul><li>According to www.thefreedictionary.com , the definition of a shanty town is “A town or section of a town consisting chiefly of shacks.” </li></ul><ul><li>Shanty towns are built in areas where no one else will build, such as flooded areas and steep hills.
How can we solve the shanty town problem?
Effective solutions to make the shanty towns better may come in the form of help from the government or nongovernmental organizations, and they should be given education regarding public cleanliness. The self-help schemes should be introduced and they should be provided with the loans for making improvements in their lives.
Why are there so many diseases in Shanty?
Shanty dwellers suffer from sanitation problems, and diseases are caused by the poor upkeep in these shanty towns. They have to drink poor quality of water, which results into diseases like Cholera and Typhoid. Even some of the natural disasters may occur in the areas formed near the hillsides which can result in death sometimes due to hill slides. As there is sanitation problem and due to lack of toilets or any kind of proper sewage pipes, the human waste becomes the breathing ground for mosquitoes and diseases.
How can we make shanty towns better?
Effective solutions to make the shanty towns better may come in the form of help from the government or nongovernmental organizations, and they should be given education regarding public cleanliness. The self-help schemes should be introduced and they should be provided with the loans for making improvements in their lives. It is seen that the breeze-blocks and the ceramic tiles on the roof were used to stop the rain, schools are built for education and for healthcare facilities hospitals are also built in this area. Renovation of water pipes for fresh water, hygienic toilets, and road tarring may also be provisioned for.
When were shanty towns first developed?
Shanty town history in the U.S. dates back to the year 1929 when the unemployed people were thrown out of their houses, and they started building these shanty settlements. In the year 1930, when the economy saw a setback, the condition also worsened as more and more people settled here. As these shanty towns were first developed in America, so they were known as Hoovervilles but, by the year 1940, as the economy recovered so too did the conditions. The examples from the developing countries include Asia’s largest shanty town, which is Orangi in Karachi, Pakistan, and many others across South Africa, Haiti, Kenya, India, and Bangladesh. In the developed countries, these can be found in some parts of the European Union, Spain, the United States of America, and France.
What are shanty towns made of?
These improvised housing developments are often made up of corrugated metal, plywood, cardboard boxes and sheets of plastics, with these impromptu homes often called shacks. The characteristic features of these shanty towns are that one can see them near the parks, ...
Why do people die from hill slides?
As there is sanitation problem and due to lack of toilets or any kind of proper sewage pipes, the human waste becomes the breathing ground for mosquitoes and diseases. 2.
Why are shanty towns safe?
There is less traffic leading to less fuel consumption and lower pollution due to transport needs. Streets are so narrow that cars are not even feasible , making shanty towns safe for walking and cycling. People live on fewer resources and the focus on re-use and sharing of resources is more.
What is a shanty town?
A shanty town or squatter area is a settlement of improvised housing, called shanties or shacks, made of plywood, corrugated metal, sheets of plastic, and cardboard boxes. Such settlements are usually found on the periphery of cities, in public parks, or near railroad tracks, rivers, lagoons or city trash dump sites. Sometimes called a squatter, informal or spontaneous settlement, a typical shanty town often lacks adequate infrastructure, including proper sanitation, safe water supply, electricity, hygienic streets, or other basic necessities to support human sett
What is a squatter settlement?
Squatter settlement is a concentration of spontaneously constructed dwelling on land not owned by the buiders and not politically controlled by the urban government.
Do shanty towns have close knit families?
Such shanty towns or slums have thriving communities of close knit families living very closely (physically) to each other. Due to this I have seen them form bonds of friendship and kinship which would put our modern developed societies to shame.
Is living in a slum cheap?
Since most people living in slums are poor, it is no surprise that living there is cheap due to the above factors, and you can live by on much less than people who live in well developed urban centres.
Is slums eco friendly?
With this kinship and due to the financial challenges of living in such places, you also see a lot of ecofriendly practices like sharing resources among families, recycling and reprocessing of “garbage”, etc. There is a thriving economy in these slums, which are highly efficient and eco-friendly when compared with our modern ways of living.
Can a loan be a burden?
At times it is quite possible to feel that the loan or credit card is a burden and you might find it difficult to afford but don’t take the option of loan or credit card settlement. You might get rid of the debt but it will affect the CIBIL score and you will not be able to take any loans, credit cards or other credit facilities. The remark will be there on the Credit report and on the basis of this all banks and NBFCs will reject the loans or new credit card applications. Banks will even reduce the available credit limits on your credit cards if there are settlement remarks on your Credit report.
What are the problems of living in a squatter settlement?
Population density is very high in squatter settlements in Lagos. This is because of the lack of available land to build on. The area known to outsiders as Makoko is actually six distinct “villages” spread across land and water: Oko Agbon, Adogbo, Migbewhe, Yanshiwhe, Sogunro and Apollo. The first four are the floating communities, known as “Makoko on water”; the rest are based on land. In these floating communities, homes are built on stilts on the edge of the Lagos Lagoon. It is estimated that a quarter of a million people live in Makoko.
What is a squatter settlement?
Squatter settlements are any collection of buildings where the people have no legal rights to the land they are built upon. The people are living there illegally and do not own the land. They provide housing for many of the world’s poorest people and offer basic shelter.
Where are floating communities built?
In these floating communities, homes are built on stilts on the edge of the Lagos Lagoon. It is estimated that a quarter of a million people live in Makoko. The homes are built from materials such as wood and metal sheets. They do not have basic facilities or sanitation.
How many squatter settlements are there in Lagos?
There are 13 squatter settlements in Lagos, These are: The map below shows the location of a number of squatter settlements in Lagos. Squatter settlements are found all over Lagos. They are typically found in areas where more wealthy people do not want to live. This includes marshland and land close to industry.
Characteristics
Historic and Modern Examples
- Shanty town history in the U.S. dates back to the year 1929 when the unemployed people were thrown out of their houses, and they started building these shanty settlements. In the year 1930, when the economy saw a setback, the condition also worsened as more and more people settled here. As these shanty towns were first developed in America, so they were known as Hoovervill…
Sanitation and Disease
- Shanty dwellers suffer from sanitation problems, and diseases are caused by the poor upkeep in these shanty towns. They have to drink poor quality of water, which results into diseases like Cholera and Typhoid. Even some of the natural disasters may occur in the areas formed near the hillsides which can result in death sometimes due to hill slides. As there is sanitation problem an…
Economy and Crime
- Areas with shanty towns often pop up where the economic output is lower, and there are minimal levels of access to schools, hospitals, and other needful facilities that are often seen provided by the government and the private sector alike in more affluent areas. The income rate per capita of a person is low as the residents are often officially un...
Solutions and Alternatives
- Effective solutions to make the shanty towns better may come in the form of help from the government or nongovernmental organizations, and they should be given education regarding public cleanliness. The self-help schemes should be introduced and they should be provided with the loans for making improvements in their lives. It is seen that the breeze-blocks and the ceram…