Lives Unseen: A Glimpse into Lasjan’s Slum Realities
Exploring Daily Struggles and Resilience in Unhygienic Living Conditions
Toyyibah Ansar and Aalima Qayoom
Lasjan, a developing area in Srinagar (south) tehsil, located 7.23 kilometres from the city centre, is home to various rock-making, sand, and other construction mills. Beneath the bypass flyover lies a mix of residential areas, including multiple slum communities.
According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) under Rajiv Awaz Yojna (RAY), Srinagar has around 18,000 households across 77 slum pockets, with over 52 percent of the state’s slum population residing in the district. These informal housing clusters, often along highways, are predominantly inhabited by the service population.
The slum communities in Lasjan are part of this broader demographic, with most residents engaged in garbage picking, especially plastic waste. These communities have endured decades of living in extreme unhygienic conditions due to a lack of basic facilities. This photo essay captures the daily lives of these resilient individuals, from children playing in contaminated environments to families cooking meals amidst squalor.
A slum-dwelling child walks under the harsh sun in Lasjan. Photo: Toyyibah Ansar
A small slum community beneath Lasjan bypass flyover, established 25 years ago. Photo: Toyyibah Ansar
Shabir Ahmed Khan, a local slum resident originally from West Bengal, has been living in Lasjan for the past 25 years. For survival, he and his community rely on garbage picking. “We are forced to live in these conditions for survival,” Shabir explains.
“We don’t even have proper water facilities like taps, and the hygiene conditions are especially dire during rainfall,” he further added. This stark reality underscores the daily struggles faced by these residents.
Shabir Ahmed Khan draws water from the well for his family’s daily needs. Photo: Aalima Qayoom
An improvised kitchen, highlighting the daily challenges faced by residents in meeting their basic
needs. Photo: Aalima Qayoom
Another Slum community near Tata Motor workshop in Lasjan. Photo: Toyyibah Ansar
Residents rely on traditional methods for boiling water in this slum community due to lack of facilities.
Photos: Toyyibah Ansar
Khateeja and her brother share a moment of joy amidst the background of modest surroundings.
Photo: Aalima Qayoom
Due to financial constraints, the children in this particular slum don’t go to school. Instead, they stay at home and help their parents earn a living.
Others living in the slum say that although there is a lack of other amenities and hygiene, they have adapted to living like this now.
One more slum locality in Lasjan near the Indian Oil petrol pump. Photo: Toyyibah Ansar
Sana (on the right) and the kid Fatima(on the left) preparing to have their lunch in humble surroundings. Photo: Aalima Qayoom
The washroom used by the people in this slum locality. Photo: Toyyibah Ansar
The head of a family residing in this particular slum, Manan Ahmed, shared that they don’t have many complaints about the living conditions. ‘We have been living here for years, through changes in administration and facilities, but we are content.”
Ducks freely roam, petted and sold by slum residents for their livelihood. Photo: Toyyibah Ansar
A kid sitting amidst squalor with a tough future awaiting. Photo: Toyyibah Ansar
Residents of the well-off houses in Lasjan help those in the slums by providing clean water from their taps. “We tell them to take water from taps around and also provide them with other essentials like food, etc.,” said Waqas Ahmed, a local resident.
Despite living in extremely unhygienic conditions, which would be intolerable for many city dwellers, the slum residents are grateful for the basic facilities they have. Now, there is an urgent need for their proper rehabilitation, providing them with essential facilities, and integrating them with respect into society.
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