| Tweet |
Top photo: Boy portrait from Nasik. In all Indian cities slums are physically poor and there is problem of quality, sub-standard housing areas, which pose danger of health and life of slum dwellers. Nasik is a city in the state of Maharashtra in Western India.
Bottom photo: Many attractive definitions have been formulated, showing the need of precise, logical and concise definition, which may support the various dimensions of slums. This photo taken near Gadge Maharaj Path in Nasik shows a pile of trash.
Slum photos from Nasik in India
On location as a photographer Kristian Bertel ventured through a slum area in Nasik, Maharashtra in India taking photos of the people living there. It is a city of pilgrimage for many Hindus and the place is important for Hindu rituals. Nasik is also known in India as a landing city for traveling to Shirdi and Trambakeshwar which hosts one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is believed that during ancient times, the drops of Amrit fell into the Brahma-Kund at Trambakeshwar. This makes it one of the most popular religious travel destinations of India.
Photos from a slum area in Nasik
In this blog post the inhabitants of a certain city area near Gadge Maharaj Path in the city of Nasik are displayed in photographs. Slum and squatters are considered as problem areas for urban development in the world. In all Indian cities slums are physically poor and there is problem of quality, sub-standard housing areas, which pose danger of health and life of slum dwellers. The presence of slum as part of urban habitat refers to condition of defective physical, social economic environment. There are more than 160 slum areas in the city, including almost forty on private land. Of the slums on the private land, nine are yet to be notified as slums to make them eligible for civic amenities and welfare schemes. The phenomenon of slum has come to be regarded as major problem of urbanization.
This is a slum portrait from Nasik of an Indian woman. Although most definitions have pointed out that slum areas are punctuated by inadequate housing, insufficient structural and basic amenities, overcrowding and congestion, people are living here.
Overcrowding, sanitation and poverty
The geographers, town planners and sociologists have made several attempts for delineating the salient characteristics of urban slums in both developing and developed countries. The blog here focuses on the demographic and social aspects of the slum dwellers of Nasik city, so as to show photo works of this development. Definition of slum has its roots mainly in deteriorating and sub-standard housing and overcrowding, sanitation, poverty, are the character of the area occupied by the slum and its location in the ecological setting within the sprawling city. Many attractive definitions have been formulated, showing the need of precise, logical and concise definition, which may support the various dimensions of the big beast. Geographers, sociologist and town planners to define slums and delineate their salient characteristics have made several attempts.
Definition of slum has its roots mainly in deteriorating and sub-standard housing and overcrowding, sanitation, poverty, are the character of the area occupied by the slum, and its location in the ecological setting within the sprawling city.
Slum dwellers in photographs
The slum is a worldwide urban phenomenon, and is cast into a stereotype image with a heavily negative bias a "rash' on city landscape", "a blot on civilization", over-crowding, filth, sub-standard housing, drinking, vice, violence, apathy and poverty. A positive attitude is to recognize the slum as a 'component' of city evolution, an "element of urban complex", as a "transitional settlement" at that low level of survival, and to appreciate the contribution of the slum dwellers to the city's low wage labour force and its gross product. The slum represents both physical and human adjustment to poverty, and in developing countries, depicts "subsistence" urbanization. There are various characteristic features of a slum, its appearance, economic status, overcrowding, congestion, health and sanitary conditions, morals, way of living attitudes, isolation and permanency. Although most definitions have pointed out that slum areas are punctuated by inadequate housing, insufficient structural and basic amenities, overcrowding and congestion, to a large extent however, it is a community in process, it is a way of living and moreover it is a subsystem in a large urban system which is characterized by attributes of poverty, insanitation, defiant behavior and social isolation and apathy.
Nasik is one of the world's holiest Hindu cities. 'Kumbh Mela' is held here once in twelve years along with 4 other cities in India. Lord Rama along with Lakshmana and Sita spent 14 years of his exile at Tapovan near Nasik.
Slum, a worldwide problem
The phenomenon of slum is worldwide and almost every city has slum and with the growth of urban population nowadays slums have created a panic for cities development. It has been a serious issue for the town planning and so the study of slums is meaningful for the environmental modification and ameliorating the problems of urban areas for providing more amenities to the telling masses. Slum and squatters are considered as problem areas for urban development in the world. In all Indian cities slums are physically poor and there is problem of quality, sub-standard housing areas, which pose danger of health and life of slum dwellers. The presence of slum as part of urban habitat refers to condition of defective physical, social economic environment.
The phenomenon of slum has come to be regarded as major problem of urbanization. The phenomenon of slum is worldwide and almost every city has slum and with the growth of urban population nowadays slums have created a panic for cities development. It has been a serious issue for the town planning and so the study of slums is meaningful for the environmental modification and ameliorating the problems of urban areas for providing more amenities to the telling masses.
It is believed the name 'Nasik' was derived after the incident in Ramayana when Lakshman, who is Sri Ram's brother chopped off the nose of Surpanakha, who is Ravan's sister. Slum photograph from Nasik in Maharashtra, India taken by the photographer.
Population of slums in Nasik
The total population of all Nasik slums is over 200,000 persons in 2008. The percentage of slum population found highest in Mahatma Phule Nagar, the Nasik road, which accounts for nearly 5 percent of the total slum population. While the largest area occupied is the Upnagar Nasik road, which accounts for almost thirteen percent of the total slum area. The Daha Chauk is the lowest in population size, number of families and area occupied than the other slums, which accounts for almost zero percent of the total slum population, Wadar wadi, Peth road, Panchvati are accounting for almost 4 percent of total slum population, which is second largest in population size, while Sawrbaba Nagar is third largest in population size, with a little over 3.5 percent. P. C. Tolls Prabhud Nagar, Kajichi Gadi, Shanti Ngar, Panchashil Nagar, Samata Nagar, Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar have more than 2 percent population of the total slum population.
There has been tremendous growth in India's housing sector as incomes have risen. But despite the recent economic growth, there is still vast poverty, unemployment and therefore poor housing conditions for a huge section of the population such as this Indian boy in Nasik.
Photographs of slum residents in India
Kristian's selection of photos are reflecting over the human conditions for people in India. Especially the people, who live in the big cities of India such as Nasik."- When I ventured through the many streets of Nasik in Maharashtra, India, my eyes were caught by these residents who were living in modest tents in central Nasik. For me portrait photography or portraiture is photography of a person that displays the expression, personality and mood of the subject", the photographer says. He is a freelance photographer who has been traveling in several provinces of India taking travel photos with a humanitarian eye and he is regular travel blogger with his India photographs and you can write to him here:
Contact the photographer
More photos from India
If you are interested to see more photos and photographs from India you can visit the photographer's website and see many colorful slideshows from India.
See the slideshow | press here