The Institution of Engineers (India), Rourkela Centre observed the World Habitat Day here on Wednesday by organising a discussion with the theme ‘Voices from Slums’.
As speaker, Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences Department at the NIT, Rourkela RK Biswal termed slum as a run-down area of a city characterised by substandard housing and squalor and lacking tenure security.
His paper deliberated on the root cause of urban slumming, reasons for growth of slums and initiatives taken by Government and Non-Government agencies for rehabilitation of slums. He also offered some short-term and long-term solutions to deal with the issues and said that the crux lies in implementing the development programmes sincerely and the will to overcome political and economic constraints. IEI, Rourkela Centre Secretary Prof B Subudhi also spoke on the occasion.