Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of slum areas?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → High Rent and Land Cost
Option (1) High Rent and Land Cost — Not a characteristic of slums (Correct). High rent and the high cost of land in the city are the reason people end up in slums: migrants who come in search of a livelihood cannot afford proper housing, so they settle in degraded areas. Slums are the cheapest places to live, the residential areas of the least choice.
Option (2) Dilapidated Houses — A characteristic of slums (Incorrect). Slums have dilapidated houses, in poor repair.
Option (3) Poor ventilation — A characteristic of slums (Incorrect). Houses packed close together have poor ventilation and poor hygienic conditions.
Option (4) Open Defecation — A characteristic of slums (Incorrect). For lack of toilets, open defecation and unregulated drainage are serious health hazards in slums.
NCERT (2025-26): “Problems of Slums … At the other extreme of it are the slums, jhuggi-jhopari clusters and colonies of shanty structures. These are inhabited by those people who were forced to migrate from the rural areas to these urban centres in search of livelihood but could not afford proper housing due to high rent and high costs of land. They occupy environmentally incompatible and degraded areas. Slums are residential areas of the least choice, dilapidated houses, poor hygienic conditions, poor ventilation, lack of basic amenities, like drinking water, light and toilet facilities, etc. Open defecation, unregulated drainage system and overcrowded narrow street patterns are serious health and socio-environmental hazards.” |