Generally high conjunction of the housing, poor building structures, high density of the population, poor environmental conditions describe the slum space. Most of the slum dwellers use traditional fuels for cooking. These traditional fuels like charcoal, coals, wood, kerosene oils, and cow dung cake release the smoke into environment. These traditional fuels led to diseases like respiratory diseases, asthma, and bronchitis.

The growth of cities had always been accompanied by the growth of slums. Ill-health due to overcrowding, poor housing and unsanitary environment, coupled with poverty were found in slum. The relative difference income and wealth was much starker in urban areas. The higher purchasing power of the rich people drives up the prices of food and healthcare goods, making them unaffordable to the poor. The rich also consume more than their proportionate share of public goods, for example, water, infrastructure, electricity, which are often subsidized by the state. Poverty and other forms of social disadvantage translate into poorer health status and outcomes for the urban poor (Madhiwalla (2007). The slum areas in urban society in Uttar Pradesh were rapidly posing serious threat to sustainable development of India. Environmental conditions of slum and its effects on their dwellers. The slum areas were characterized by complete absence of basic amenities like drinking water, toilets and bathrooms, drainage system and garbage disposal (Firdaus, 2012). Problems of urbanization and development of slum areas and outlined how the living environment of slums had impact on health of the dwellers and slum environment alienated them from the rest of the urban society. According to him the social determinants also associated with the environmental determinants (Awadalla, 2012). Scarcity of water stood as a vital problem for many people all over the world. The slum dwellers of many urban areas across countries faced serious water scarcity. The poor slum dwellers faced serious problem of scarcity of water in India as he observed (Rao, 2009). In slums, the dwellers also face variety of problems pertaining regarding water and sanitation (Prasad and Singh, 2009). Prevalence of water borne diseases among the slum dwellers is persisting. The most common diseases in the slums were found to be gastrointestinal diseases, diarrhoea, water diseases, parasitic worms/infestation and orals diseases (Singh and Dsouza, 1980) also chronic non-communicable and communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, intentional and unintentional injuries, tuberculosis, and rheumatic heart disease and HIV infection existed in slums (Reily et al, 2007). 

Table-1: Coverage of the Study Area

Note: : i) Registered Slum are recognized by the Government Officials on the basis of land title; since 1980, they have been taken over by the Government for letting/ lease to slum dwellers.[1]

ii) Unregistered Slum comprises slum on the land encroaching settlements.[2]

The study is try to understand the general understanding regarding slums health condition and after that it focuses more on the women health.

All surveyed slum situated with densely populated, where all the dwellers were do not have any private space for bathing. Inside the slum we observed the narrow lanes, cramped houses and heaps of garbage. A pungent smell spread all around the slum. Due to the dense population of the slum and congested construction of houses, darkness appeared even during day time. The waste materials were scattered here and there. There was no fixed zone for animals like pig and other animals. Material used in housing construction is basically bricks, clay, bamboo, plastics, tin, sag and ragged cloths. There is no privacy in the house among families. The cottages had height approximately 3 to 4 feet. The families were visibly poor. The present paper is tried to describe the living conditions of the slum dwellers because the nature of their living arrangements creates so many diseases. According World Health Organization (WHO) substandard housing condition perpetuates the many of the infectious diseases which is associated with their surrounding environments[3]. This living arrangement associated with women’s health also because in Indian society women were supposed to live inside the door. Perhaps poverty break all the boundary of gender stereotype in slums study but the burden of work became double on women’s. They work inside as well as outside both. In this perspective the present study dealing with following survey results.   

1. Demographic and Socio-economic Profile of Slums Households

1.1. Sex Composition of the Slum Households

The sample table consisted of 55.0 per cent female respondents and the rest male (Table-2). The respondent slum dwellers were in working age group.

Table 2: Sex Compositions of Slums Households Respondents

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

1.2. Caste Category of the Slums Households

75.0 per cent of the respondent belonged to SCs and the rest General castes. In registered slum all were SCs and in unregistered slum 25.0 per cent were General castes or Muslim and rest from the SCs (Table-3). All the landless poor who were basically low in social category by birth live in slums.

Table-3: Distributions of Slums Households by Castes

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

1.3. Family Types

52.0 per cent of the households in slums constituted joint family. The percentage is high in this category because most of the Muslim family living in a join family.

1.4. Population Size and Dependency

Registered slum by religion covered 328 persons in 50 households in Hindu religion and in unregistered slum 141 persons belonged to Hindu Religion and 167 persons belonged to the Muslim Religion which covered 25 households. In general 73.74 per cent of the total households were Hindus and the rest Muslim (Table-4).

Table-4: Size and Dependency of Population from Sample

Source: Field Survey, 2020.
1.5. Average of the Households
Average household size was six. In registered slum, it was six while in unregistered slum it was seven.
1.6. Migration Status
Most of the households migrated twenty to forty years back.
1.7. Educational Status

Most of the respondents were Illiterate 74.0 per cent. Only 11.0 per cent of the respondents were attained primary education. And 14.0 per cent were taken informal education (Table-5). Most of the people in the slums were illiterate. They were not even aware of the necessity of education. Male literacy rate in the slum was higher than that of female. Most of the female were illiterate. Most of the literate people attained education up to the primary level. They were not interested to send their children to school. This was reinforced by the financial constraint. Their children were working hands to earn money. Most of the children used to go to cost-free government schools. Most of the people in the slum were engaged as manual labour so there is no relation between the educations and their job opportunity so most of them dropout by completing their primary education.

Table-5: Educational attainment of the Respondent of the Households

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

The additional information is that the female education is very less significant in numbers. Most of the women 65.0 per cent were illiterate. Only 17.86 per cent were complete their primary education.

1.8. Private benefits of the Slums Households

Table shows that most of the housing character is basically semi- kutcha in nature i.e. 44.0 per cent. Most of the 85.0 per cent slum respondents were living in single room. A very high percentage 75.0 was used to go for defecation in open space. A very significant 65.0 per cent were cooking outside from the house and rest were cooking inside because of non- availability of any other option because they have not a proper space for cooking. 100 per cent slums household facing the problem of open drain. Due to this various types of diseases arises. Most of the slums households 75.0 per cent were generally use tap for drinking water and rest of the households use bore well situated in cluster of the slum. 100.0 per cent households dispose their garbage by their own in back side of the house (Table -6).

Table-6: Housing and Environmental Conditions of Slums Household

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

Table-7: Fuel Used for cooking in Slums Households

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

1.11. Prevalence diseases

Most of the respondents 52 per cent were reported that their households suffered from jaundice. Most of the respondents households 53.0 per cent basically women were facing low BP problem. Other diseases like tuberculosis, diarrhoea, and asthma, typhoid skin diseases etc. prevalence in the study area (fig. 3).

Figure 3: Prevalence Diseases in Slum Households

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

If we look for the reasons of the prevalence diseases the main reason is seen open drain 76.0 per cent, most of the households respond that the always water logged in h drain which born the diseases. Other reason for the causing diseases is water logging, dumping site, open defecation etc.  The dwellers of this slum generally ate low quality food due to financial constraint. All the dwellers were non-vegetarians who used to eat the residue part of chicken and mutton. They used to purchase rotten fruits and vegetables at low price.

Figure 3.1: Reasons of Causing Diseases

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

1.12. Access of Health Facility and related Health Problem

Most of the slums households 42.0 per cent were used to go in the Government hospital. 32.0 per cent were used to go private hospitals for medication. 14.0 per cent were used to take tradition health care in which they used generally Ayurveda kind of thing like leaf and stem of some plants etc.  The dwellers of these slums generally used to go in government hospital in case of illness (fig. 4). But they did not access the proper health care facility. The major challenges that they face is that the education less poor dweller did not know that where to go for meet health need and the reason is that they do not know the clear norms for urban health facilities. The slum dwellers did not get any health benefits provided by Government free of cost facility.

Figure 4: Access of Health Facility among Slums Households

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

1.12.1 Menstrual Hygiene among Women

Most of the female respondents reported that approximately 74.0 per cent were using clothe during their periods. Only 8.0 per cents were using sanitary napkins in their periods. 18.0 per cent were use both of the thing in their periods. Females were more vulnerable in terms of their health (fig. 5). Because of their poverty they were not able to purchase the sanitary napkins for their hygiene. They mostly use the cloth which is also not proper clean and it affects their health. So they were facing some vaginal infection due to this. Women do not know from where to access the free napkin facility or by purchase in minimum cost.  

Figure 5: Menstrual Hygiene among Female in Slums Households

Source: Field Survey, 2020.

1.12.2 Delivery Services   

Figure shows that the most of the women 42.0 per cent in the slums access the Private hospital at the time of their delivery. 32 per cent of women’s were access government hospital at the time delivery. And a significant percentage 26 per cent were deliver their child in the presence of trained female (Daai) (fig 6). Women in the Slum face difficulty to get delivery service in government hospital because they were ill-treated in the government hospital. Sometimes because of fear they do not go for their delivery in the Government hospital.

Figure 6: Delivery Services Utilized by Slums Women

Source: Field Survey, 2020