top of page

LIFE IN THE CITY

The construction worker camps in the urban setup open our eyes to the parallel world the workers have to live in, which is not even close to what they have back in their native villages. Those open courtyards, the life outside the dwellings and the social interactions, everything is lost due to the tightly packed tin house settlements which hardly leave any space to 'breathe'. These urban setups reflect a certain insensitive and callous attitude where not even the most basic necessities are provided for. The construction workers who have to stay for months or even years to work on such sites, are forced to live in dehumanising conditions which are unhygienic and unsanitary. 

A section through the construction worker settlement which very clearly shows the dwelling units cramped together only allowing very narrow alleys to exist as circulation spaces. No particular system of clustering of the units is followed, creating chaos. 

A GLIMPSE OF THE CAMPS

As we enter into these settlements, the first thing that catches our eyes is the ignorance in planning of drainage and garbage disposal systems. The water from the wet areas flows out and due to poor climatic response, the narrow and shaded corridors do not allow penetration of sunlight resulting in damp and unhygienic spaces. The toilets and bathing spaces provided are not only less in number but are also not provided seperately for men and women, causing inconvenience.

The construction workers inhabit units of size approximately of 2 x 2.5 m, with each unit alotted to 4-5 people, either all bachelors or one family. Made of mild steel box sections with a skin of tin corrugated sheets, the units do not provide thermal insulation. No fenestrations leave these dwellings without any natural light and ventilation. The units are hard to live in considering the climatic variations in Delhi throughout the year. There are no provisions for storage,bedding and cooking counters within the units. The workers have to inhabit and adapt to whatever limited space and resources they are provided with.

AN INSIGHT INTO THE UNITS

Plan of living unit on ground floor

Plan of two adjacent units on ground floor

Plan of living unit on first floor

Section through two adjacent single storeyed units

Section through double storeyed units

Through these drawings we can see the actual conditions when they have been inhabited. There is no provision for proper bedding so they have to make do with whatever they carry from their villages. Since the small size of the units leaves them with not much space for storage, they have to make temporary arrangements by hanging clothes and bags stuffed with their belongings, on the walls. Most people cook on their own on low platforms that they create and using gas cylinders that have to buy for themselves. In some cases few electricity points were provided within the units.

bottom of page