Feature

Squatter community at Korail: Problems and Prospects

Faria Tasnin

Osman Miah threw about his arms in the air frantically gesturing what he wanted instead of the shanty he lived in. He gathered his white lungi between his legs and squatted leaning lightly against the thin tin wall of his hut as the sharinda a musical instrument that Osman makes with his bare hands lay on his side. His long hair swayed this way and that as he went on rather excitedly about the kind of an abode he would prefer. In a desperate life full of deprivation, the mere opportunity to even speak of his desires appeared to be as good as a guarantee of a better living condition for Osman.

Osman is just one of the thousands at the Korail Squatter, which is on the left across the water body towards Gulshan 1 intersection from Mohakhali. It attracts low income people from the rural areas of Bangladesh looking for opportunities and employment. The squatter residents mainly cater to the urban demand for services in the Gulshan, Banani and Mohakhali areas. But the growing number of people at the Korail Squatter has resulted in a shortage of housing and deterioration in living conditions. The squatter settlement has developed on its own so far and without any government intervention or help.

The government usually refrains from initiating any effective measures in developing low cost appropriate housing. So it is often the case that such squatters grow of their own accord and become part of the city. The housing settlement pattern at Korail is spontaneous and incremental. The pressing problem is how to integrate such a settlement into the city's developed urban fabric. It is quite unfortunate that slums are seldom provided the kind of amenities or public services that a city resident receives and its residents are, more often than not, reduced to living a sub-human life and in a constant fear of eviction.

In a study to understand the living pattern of these low income groups, fourth year architecture students of BRAC University went on a survey in groups and came up with their proposed plans for the squatter settlement.

During their visits to the squatter settlement, the students did in fact find out why Osman, although attached to the place, still desired changes. The houses were all single storied structures, clustered together, built with corrugated iron sheets and a combination of other recycled materials. One noticeable feature about the settlement was that it was extremely hot inside the shanties, as they only had openings towards the courtyard. There was no provision for cross ventilation. They said it was a security precaution to keep the huts blocked from the walkway. Three to five families reside in these housing units clustered around one courtyard, which is commonly used for cooking. Although some of the huts have electricity there is no gas, and the only energy source for cooking is firewood. When it came to water, the residents had to buy it by the gallon and store it in small reservoirs in their own housing units.

Unlike other, perhaps richer neighborhoods of the capital, it is habitual for the residents to cooperate and coexist. It is quite simple for them, they must help each other to survive. This practical need to come to each other's aid has led to a shared community feeling among them. The common kitchen in some areas with a numerous stoves under one roof was an interesting sight. There were allocated time slots for respective families. This sort of interaction invariably brings people close, as they share their stories and problems.

During a visit, one of the groups saw a little boy carrying a pile of trash in his hands. He had cans, bottles, boxes and what not. The students followed the boy out of curiosity and ended up at a recycling shop, complete with bottles, papers, partex boards, and other reusable items. Sorting garbage is common activity at the settlement of the poorest person and many others were making their way to the shop to sell their daily collection. The pathway was made from debris of brick, mortar, stone, granite and what not, which made it quite authentic to that particular vicinity.

The survey and study led the groups to realize that their plans had to ensure maximum utilization of space and understand how small scale workplaces are important income generators for low income groups. A simple tea stall could change a family's life. A basic reason for the failure of such housing schemes is the lack of participation of the users in shaping their environment. There is a strong need to evolve a participatory planning where the user could play a key role. Through interactions, the hidden social and economic structure of the community was brought to light.

There were proposals for three distinctive plans to address such problems as sanitation, safe drinking water, water storage, encroachment and water pollution. The proposed plans will be on exhibition between December 13 and December 15, 2006 at BRAC university premises.