Children live and play among the huge piles of trash at Deonar, Mumbai’s biggest dumping
ground.
When you think about Mumbai, you probably picture busy streets, tall buildings, and bright
lights. But hidden away from all that hustle and the scenic skyline is a place very few talk
about: Deonar, Asia’s largest and oldest dumping ground. A dumping ground that is home to
nearly 200,000 people.
Life Built on Trash
The houses here are unlike what most of us live in. They’re small, made from thin blue tin
sheets, and built right on top of huge piles of garbage that stretch over an area bigger than
200 football fields. During the monsoon, the roofs leak badly, and the streets flood with dirty
water. Families of six or seven squeeze into tiny rooms surrounded by trash and open
drains.
Moving around is difficult; kids have to walk on narrow wooden planks just to get to school.
The smell is overpowering, flies are everywhere, and diseases like malaria and typhoid are
common. It’s no surprise that the uaverage lifespan of people living here is only about half
that of other parts of India.
Scarcity of Clean Water and the Drug Problem
Water is a major challenge. People get water for just two hours a day, and even then, it’s
often dirty, sometimes red or yellow. To make things worse, pipes carrying clean water run
right next to filthy gutters. On top of this, drugs are everywhere. They are easier to find than
clean water, causing addiction and violence that make life even harder.
A Community That Doesn’t Give Up
Despite all this, the people here don’t give up. Many belong to groups that don’t find
acceptance elsewhere, like the transgender community, and here they find some sense of
family.
Young people have set up tuition centres, where over 100 children come to learn every day.
Music and rap are their ways of sharing stories with the world. Even in such tough
conditions, there is hope.
What Lies Ahead?
The government plans to clear half of this huge garbage mountain. But instead of helping
those who already live here, the plan is to move people from other slums into Deonar. This
raises serious concerns about safety and fairness.
Why do we let people live like this? Because even in the worst places, life and beauty can
grow like lotuses blooming in mud.
Closing Thought
Deonar may be a dumping ground for many, but it is also home to 200,000 people. This is a
story of their survival, hope, and a call for change. As Mumbai grows, we cannot forget those
living in the shadows. They deserve better homes, cleaner streets, and a fair chance at life.
BY – RINAL RATHI
