Life in the Dakshineswar slum in North Kolkata has never been easy, especially not during the monsoon season when the alleyways between the huts turn into a muddy quagmire.
But that is now a thing of the past, as CR has just completed the installation of concrete paths throughout the settlement, which is home to 1,000 people. This project was made possible thanks to the support of the ABZ Solidarity Fund .
Entrance to Dakshineswar (DKW)
At the sanitary facilities
Between the houses
Now CR is working on a plan to improve the houses themselves over the course of this year.
Many of the huts are only made of plastic attached to bamboo poles, which can collapse in strong winds and do not keep out the monsoon water.
Calcutta Rescue Special Projects Officer Rumia, who is directly involved in the side lane and house reconstruction projects, said, "A total of 7000 square meters of side lanes have been repaired across the slum settlement, selected houses are being made more resilient for 70-100 households."
Arina Bibi, a resident of Dakshineswar slum, said, "I have been living here for at least 14 years. But I have never seen so many good things happening for us at once. We had neither a water source nor toilets. Since Calcutta Rescue came here with doctors, health check-ups, water, toilets and much more, I can proudly say that I feel blessed."
Poor water quality due to climatic changes
A recent check of the water quality in the slum also revealed that arsenic levels are higher than recommended by the World Health Organization, so CR will also install a filter on the well to remove the poison.
Managing Director Jaydeep said: "In the future, CR will also take care of waste disposal. Together with CR's street medicine and the government's pre-school program (which is supported by CR), this slum will benefit from our range of services that tackle the various dimensions of poverty. The lessons learned from Dakhineshwar will be transferred to other slums in Kolkata.