Slum Tour

I just took a slum tour in Daharvi, a slum of one million inhabitants in Mumbai. It was incredible. It really wasn't what I expected, it was just a cramped city within a city. There was a industrial district and a residential district separated by a drainage ditch. In the industrial portion was the largest recycling center in mumbai, with plastic and aluminum as the main components, they also had a leather industry, pottery, and clothing. The annual economic output is almost $600 million. Yes that's US dollars every year, just because they are a slum does not mean they don't do anything. The working conditions are atrocious to say the least, as we passed through the aluminum section, one of the workers asked our guide if he could get them some face masks. You could see their bodies covered in chemicals, no protection at all. The same in the plastic reclimation, the workers stand inside of the scredder and feed it by hand. Our guide told us the life expectancy of the workers is very low, I looked at the other American on our tour and said "OSHA would have a field day". I joke, but it was really sad. As we were leaving the industrial district a camera crew approached us. Apparently only foreigners are interested in the life of a resident of the slums, it is a taboo subject among the greater mumbai population. So this film crew was making a show to help unveil the lives of the inhabitants of the slums. We then proceeded to the residential district by navigating through alleyways that even I had to duck, and at times my shoulders would touch both sides. It was very similar to caving, no light, and I have no idea how our guide navigated the maze. Every few feet were open doors to people's homes, most were about 10 foot square with entire families living in them. In all it was a three hour tour, and it was amazing. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take many pictures, only from the rooftop of the plastic recycling area. The tour ended in the community center set up by our tour operator. All the funds from the tour go back towards helping to educate the children in the slums, even our guide is a resident of the slum.

The funny face was because the sun was in my face, not because of the smell.

This guy was spreading out the plastic shreds for drying after washing them.