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(“settlement”) In its literal meaning, anywhere people live—a settlement, village,
or community. In modern usage it has
come to denote an illegal settlement,
such as one built by squatters who have
put up dwellings on vacant land using
whatever materials are available, from
brick to cardboard to plastic. At first, such
settlements have no civic amenities such
as water, power, roads, or sewers, and in
most cases the living conditions are
abysmal. In many cases such “slums”
become people’s hereditary homes, particularly in Bombay, where real estate is
exorbitantly expensive. These residents
have usually gained access to electricity
and water, typically via illegal hookups.
In rarer cases squatters have gained title
to the land through exerting political
pressure, after which conditions have
generally improved.
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