THE latest slum census shows the number of slums across the country has significantly increased closer 14 thousands from around three thousand in 1997 and the number of slum dwellers surged to over 22 lakhs from around 14 lakhs. The disclosure is highly dismaying when the government claims poverty level is drastically declining. But in it is just opposite when the country’s population has also tremendously increased. But the new information is invariably challenges the effectiveness of the government and NGOs poverty alleviation activities and proper utilization of budgetary allocation for social safety net programmes.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Monday focused on the reality in the ground by releasing the report and said rural poverty forced more people to migrate to the cities in search of livelihood and this in turn contributed to the sharp rise of urban slum and slum population over the past years. It also party explains why the rural poor were so desperate in recent past to leave the country for jobs abroad defying the danger of seas and death in Thai jungles. Huge annual budget and foreign aid for poverty eradication did not work so much to reduce rural poverty that the past governments have so far claimed.
The census shows that the number of slums in Dhaka South City and Dhaka North City rose to 3,399 last year from 1,579 in 1997. Losing cropland and homesteads to river erosion and evicted by natural disasters most rural people were forced to migrate to the cities. It revealed that almost 88 percent of the country’s slum dwellers had no land to till and took shelter in the city slums to earn their livelihood. The poverty census conducted in April last year identified six major reasons for migration to cities. It said around 51 percent came in search of work, 29 percent to escape from rural poverty and 7 percent evicted by river erosion. It showed around 79 percent of slum dwellers including 10-year olds were engaged in gainful activities, 16.percent are rickshaw and van pullers and business is the next biggest livelihood provider to 16 percent followed by around 14 percent working in garment factories. Over 86 percent receive no help or relief from the government and suffer from shortage of pure drinking water and sanitary facilities. Dhaka division and particularly Dhaka city shelters the biggest number of slums followed by Chittagong division and port city in particular.
Here what is noticeable is the need for new jobs and income generating facilities for rural poor; which are compelling them to migrate to cities. People wonder why the government is failing to ameliorate the life of the rural people despite its claim that poverty is falling sharply. People want to see the real progress in poverty alleviation is gaining ground in which cities would not be less burdened with migrants and people would prefer to live in the countryside.
