Housing and sanitary conditions in slums of Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Background: Slums have been part of the history of most cities, particularly in the early years of industrialization. Rapid urbanization and the mismatch in the provision and maintenance of proper housing conditions result in environmental decay, which further leads to origin and spread of health problems and diseases. Objective: To study the housing and sanitary conditions of the households residing in urban slums of Lucknow. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in urban slums of Lucknow city from February 2014 to September 2014. A total of 384 households were assessed for housing and sanitary conditions through house-to-house survey with the help of predesigned, pretested, and semistructured questionnaire. Result: Among 384 households included in the study, 77.1% were situated in congested locality with 69.5% having a back to back and continuous type of house setup. About 47.3% and 25.0% of the houses were having inadequate ventilation and lighting, respectively. A total of 74.5% of the houses had unsafe practices for water storage and handling. The practice of handwashing before cooking food and eating was found in 77.9% and 52.6%, respectively. A total of 51.1% of the households reported open field defecation. Conclusion: This study reveals the need for developing and providing a more effective and comprehensive package of facilities related to housing, water, sanitation, and garbage disposal for urban slums.