Great Expectations: The Wanting and Wasting of India’s Middle Class
The Rise of Urban India
With its booming population and mass movement of people, India is a rapidly growing nation full of rapidly growing cities. Rural dwellers are increasingly leaving behind their traditional lifestyles in search of a better life with more employment opportunities and enhanced public services. This rural-urban migration appears to be giving way to the rise of megacities: major urban centres with populations exceeding 10 million1. Malappuram is currently the fastest growing city in the world, highlighting the rate in which Indian metropolitan areas are expanding compared to global records, primarily due to internal migration.
A Divided India
Known as the Todaro Paradox, a key issue resulting from such migration is the high levels of unemployment; the promise of a better life in urban settings cannot facilitate as many people as it persuades in, leaving many impoverished and with no permanent residence, forcing them into life in the slums2. Disparity is evident across major Indian metropolitan areas, with a stark divide between classes, as the expansion of slum communities occurs simultaneously with the growth of the ‘consumer class’. Nowhere is this more evident than Dharavi, the second largest slum in the world. Situated in Mumbai, the slums are directly overlooked by the skyscrapers of Bandra Kurla, one of the city’s affluent business districts. Here, the middle and upper classes control the city’s wealth and dominate consumption rates, while their immediate neighbours face the consequences of these purchases and their associated waste.
A Wasteful India
The middle class is expected to make up 41% of India’s total population by 2025 - twice that of the USA. As this population increases its expectations and living standards to match the western influences of America, we can expect India to produce over 500 million tons of municipal waste a year3. This comes as a result of mass consumerism and fewer incentives to reduce wastage due to a more disposable income. Single use plastics and packaging are significant amongst fast food and fashion industries, which are becoming more prevalent in an increasingly globalised India, and correspond with a growing economy.
The uncontrolled and underfunded nature of India’s slums leaves waste management and sanitation as a critical issue. A lack of appropriate facilities can leave streets littered with commercial, household, and biological waste. Monsoon seasons can see waste contaminants infiltrating water sources and stores, in addition to flooding due to plastics and waste materials clogging drainage infrastructure. These conditions are exacerbated by the already unsanitary living conditions and poor access to health services that are prevalent in these communities.
Work can be done to reduce waste at all points of the supply chain, not just at the consumer level. Urban designs need to include cold storage facilities for fresh produce to minimise wasting perishable foods during long transits across the country4. Suitable municipal waste infrastructure is also vital, particularly surrounding the slums which tend to lack such basic public amenities.
The Future of Rural and Urban India
Slum communities and their impacts are not something that can be improved immediately, but in the meantime we can work to prevent their further expansion. Improvements in rural communities and investment in travel infrastructure will facilitate the physical connectivity to urban economies and services, while allowing continued residence in rural towns and villages. Government run incentives, known as PURA, aim to provide urban amenities to rural areas. While this scheme lacked in success, it highlights the importance of rural life and poses a potential long-term solution5.
However, it is equally important to invest in improving quality of life in the slums. Access to education here is poor, and many children do not even achieve a secondary level education due to financial and social pressures such as discrimination in the classroom or access to tutoring. Implementing incentives for marginalised children to continue through their education is critical, such as offering scholarships, stationary, and educating staff on life in the slums. Doing so greatly improves a young adults career prospects, increasing their chances of moving themselves and their families out of the slums and preventing a continuous cycle of poverty6.
The growth of India’s urban environment and its associated benefits is essential for India to maintain its position in the global economy. But, this needs to be achieved within the context of a rapidly growing population and the risk of forcing millions more into poverty. India has the unique position to be able to learn from the mistakes of the west, and leap-frog straight into sustainable waste management techniques consumer patterns before the population becomes too comfortable and the impacts are irreversible.
References:
1. Ishtiaque, A. (2012) ‘How Rural-Urban migration Contributes to the Development of a Megacity: a case from Bangladesh’, in Book of Proceedings. International Congress on Social and Cultural Studies, Nigeria, pp. 366–376.
2. Zenou, Y. (2005) The Todaro Paradox Revisited. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network. doi:10.2139/ssrn.866905.
3. Southworth, B. and Lingamfel, B. (2008) ‘Great Expectations: The Rise of the Indian Middle Class’, Chazen Institute
4. Balaji, M. and Arshinder, K. (2016) ‘Modeling the causes of food wastage in Indian perishable food supply chain’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 114, pp. 153–167. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.07.016.
5. Batra, S.K., Singh, S.P. and Payal, R. (2011) ‘PURA clusters: knowledge villages for future generations in India’, in. The 4th Knowledge Cities World Summit 8.
6. Chugh, S. (2011) ‘Dropout in Secondary Education: A Study of Children Living in Slums of Delhi’.