Socio-economic Status of Slum Dwellers: A Case Study of Uttara Periphery, Dhaka

Abstract

The present study was an attempt to assess the living status of slum dwellers at Uttara, periphery, Dhaka. A slum is a heavily populated urban informal settlement characterized by substandard housing, squalor, lack of sanitation services, supply of clean water, reliable electricity, and other basic services. Analysis showed that the average money dspending on food and groceries was Tk.2,757.41 (44.86%) whereas the average monthly house rent including utilities was Tk.1,968.33 (32.02%). It was noted that educational expense of children was Tk.555.00 (9.03%) per month, while cost for health care per month was Tk.457.5 (7.44%). It was observed that they lived in unhygienic surroundings. In the slum area, the youngest and adult age group (0-24 years) had morbidity rate of 30.8% followed by population in the age group 35-39 years (17.9%). Morbidity was Clowest (5.1%) for the population belonging to age group 30-34 years, followed by morbidity of population aged 40 and above (each group has morbidity rate 12.8%). Slum people were found to be engaged in day labourer, small job services, rickshaw pulling. and little business.