No ‘notified’ slums in Guwahati; This assertion robs slum dwellers of dignified housing

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has failed to implement the In-Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) project under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), leaving thousands of urban poor without access to improved housing. The reason? Authorities claim there are no “notified” slums in the city—an assertion that contradicts previous surveys and reports.

The ISSR initiative was introduced to redevelop slum land with private sector participation, ensuring better living conditions for residents. However, GMC’s refusal to recognise the existence of slums has prevented the project’s implementation, depriving thousands of citizens of their right to dignified housing.

This is not the first time slum redevelopment efforts have stalled in Guwahati. In 2005, the Congress-led central government launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which included the Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) programme. However, the scheme failed to make a significant impact in the city.

A similar fate awaited the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), launched in 2011 to eliminate slums and provide shelter to urban poor communities. After Assam joined the scheme in 2012, GMC received Rs 76.34 lakh to conduct a citywide survey. The survey, conducted in collaboration with NGOs, initially identified 217 slum areas, later revised to 164 in 2014 by the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI). The revised data indicated that approximately 90,000 people lived in 18,500 slum households across Guwahati.

Despite three years of preparatory work, GMC made little progress in slum redevelopment. The corporation had drafted Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for slum rehabilitation in Barsapara, Harijan Colony, Maniram Dewan slum area, and the police reserve slum. However, the introduction of the Housing for All scheme in 2015 derailed these efforts. Unlike previous government-funded initiatives, the new scheme required slum dwellers to take loans for homeownership, significantly altering the approach to housing development. As a result, GMC did not submit the DPRs, halting progress indefinitely.

Despite extensive surveys and reports acknowledging the presence of slums, GMC officials continue to deny their existence, absolving the municipal body of responsibility. This contradiction raises a crucial question: If GMC identified 164 slums in 2014, how can it now claim that none of them exist in Guwahati?

“For many in GMC, just collecting and disposing of garbage is the main concern,” said a source within the corporation. “Slum development has never been a priority for any government, and it urgently needs attention.”

The negligence of GMC, coupled with shifting government policies and bureaucratic inertia, has left thousands of Guwahati’s poorest residents trapped in a cycle of poverty and neglect. Unless authorities acknowledge and address the issue, these communities will remain invisible, denied the fundamental right to safe and adequate housing.

 Also Read: Stories untold: Highlighting the harsh realities of India’s slum dwellers

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