Dharavi Kumbharwada: Mud Bhattis and Gas Kilns
Director: Richa Hushing; Cinematographer: Tapan Vyas
Duration: 00:21:13; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 22.714; Saturation: 0.399; Lightness: 0.123; Volume: 0.159; Cuts per Minute: 2.590; Words per Minute: 102.581
Summary: Dharavi is popularly termed as the largest slum in Asia. Known to be one of the densest and most layered human settlements in the world, the origin of Dharavi can be traced back to early 20th Century, at the height of the industrialization in the region. Dharavi is an area, which was originally located at the northern periphery of Bombay, but with boundaries of this ever-growing city constantly extending on all sides it has come to occupy prime location today. Today, according to official records, Dharavi is marked as an area spread over 223 hectares, where as many as 18,000 people crowd into a single acre. A 1986 survey by the National Slum Dwellers Federation (NSDF) counted 530,225 people (106,045 households) living in 80,518 structures. But considering the large number of 'unofficial/illegal' migration influx, the real number of people living in Dharavi is likely to be much more. Home to approximately one million people, Dharavi populace includes diverse language groups, religious communities and economic units. Most of the citizens of Dharavi are urban artisans, functioning out of the outer space of their one-storey shanties. This seamlessness in working and living space, over the decades, has resulted not only in high number of female wage earners but also facilitated occupations to an entire family, making it some sort of a family business. Currently, Dharavi is in the eye of a storm as the prime land that it occupies needs to be 're-developed' to keep in pace with the economic globalization that is sweeping the city. Bombay, the supposed trade capital of India and India, the media acclaimed neo-Asian tiger of the international market, needs to grab more land and the old fashioned settlement of Dharavi must go in order to facilitate that. Currently the whole settlement - the residents' associations, the govt., the international builders' lobby as well as the civil society in Bombay are engaged in intense debate and complex maneuvering to extract the best possible deal out of this. But the problem is what is best for one economic group can be damaging for the other groups. The govt. has divided Dharavi into 5 administrative sectors in order to facilitate the development process in pieces. Besides, the neighbourhoods are also determined by community occupations and infrastructures - such as Kumbharwada (potters' colony), Koliwada (fisherman's colony) etc.
Following is an evening shoot around the kilns in the Kumbharwada (potters colony). Kilns are spines of the Kumbharwada. Every lane in Kumbharwada have multiple number of kilns. Some people own and run the kilns and others bake their products on rental basis. The kilns are so important and primary in the Kumbharwada that any festival (diwali, holi, Navratri) which requires public space is celebrated around the kilns (see event titled Dharavi: Navratri Celebration in Khumbhawada). When the textile industry was running in the city, the potters used to buy the cotton waste from the mills to run the fire in the kilns. But as the textile industry shut down they are forced to use other material, some of which are highly polluting, to run the fire. Thus in last one decade or more the Kumbharwada has come to be the focus of debate as a centre of health hazard. Shot by Tapan Vyas.
Evening in Kumbharwada. A work space - which can be best describe as a courtyard with sheds in one side. The shed is used for storage of raw material and finished product and making of pots. Outside the shed is a mud bhatti (kiln). The bhatti is burning in the background, behind the bhatti can be seen lit windows of the houses. The smoke from the burning bhatti spreads over the neighbourhood - a common phenomena in every evening in Kumbharwada.
It is a busy working hour, male and female workers carry the raw pots for sun drying, prepare the clay, maintain the fire in the bhatti etc. Presently lot of Bhaiyas (migrant labours from UP) work as daily wagers in Kumbharwada. Other than the menial works they also make pots on the wheels. Almost everybody in the Kumbharwada uses the electric wheels. The traditional potters wheel has become extinct. Women (they are all from Kumbhar families and not migrant wage workers) are not allowed to sit on the potters' wheel. They are mainly engaged in making the clay in pre- production phase, putting them for sun drying and then colouring or polishing the pots at a final stage. The women's hostility towards the male migrant wage workers is well known. Many women are also involved in the door to door selling and in delivery to far away markets. The last act requires high level of physical strength.
(in Gujarati):
bhatti
daily wage
evening
female workers
fire
kiln
kumbharwada
labourers
migrant
neighbourhood
pollution
potters colony
pottery
smoke
workers
Kumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
A traditional mud bhatti (kiln) burns. Bhattis are generally lit in the night. The preparation to upload the bhatti starts from the afternoon and then in the night it is lit. It burns for 7/8 hours and then takes another 6 to 8 hours to cool down. Then the baked objects are taken out. Generally the bhattis are lit every alternate day. Anybody who lights his bhatti everyday or lights it in the day time is scoffed at by the neighbours. In the Kumbharwada some people make pots, some others own bhattis, yet others polish them or put colours. The affluent families hire different set of workers to do the different chores.
The bhatti burns and the flames leap up. A man put more fuel (wood skin) into the bhatti. The audio track is full of children playing, infants crying and the women chattering. Though the work is very professional, the location is both domesticated and professional. A woman stirs the fire through the holes at the bottom of the mud wall. The heat and the smoke generating from the fire seems part of the general ambience. The fire burns and leaps through the openings in the mud bhatti. The body of the bhatti looks like a pre-historic animal and the people in silhouette an extension of that.
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
Q. (off camera)... do you manage to sell all these products... the entire lot...
(women talk in Gujarati)
The woman (off camera): Ok, tell me...
Q: You work so hard... I mean...
The woman: What is there... there would be nothing to eat. We are poor people. We need money for everything... pay for the clay, pay for the fuel, pay rent for the bhatti... for everything. What else can the potters do? If the potters don't make pot then how would you drink water? (children make lot of noise. One boy tries to tell a joke)
bhatti
evening
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flame
fuel
kiln
kumbharwada
livelihood
mud
potters colony
pottery
shadow
shapes
work space
General chatter around the bhatti.
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
A man (off frame): Do you know this... in this area this kind of smoke is there for all 12 months. It is difficult. You have been coming for a week right?
bhatti
fire
health hazard
kiln
kumbharwada
neighbourhood
pollution
potters colony
pottery
smoke
work space
In another part of the Kumbharwada. A man prepares to light a bhatti with LPG gas. It is an indoor space and is meticulously cleaned. He brings in gas cylinders and pipes. Then puts the gas cylinder on a plastic tub with water. This is most probably to reduce the heat which is likely to generate as the cylinder will be used to light and burn the bhatti. A square metal structure stands next to it. It is the new invention - the kiln which runs in gas and thus emits no smoke. A meter, next to a switch reads fluctuating temperature - 740-750-758 - 757...
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
bhatti
cylinder
fire
fuel
gas
heat
kiln
kumbharwada
lpg gas
potters colony
pottery
temperature
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
My name is Abbas Zakaria Dalwani. I am a traditional potter. I have working here for years in pottery. Earlier we used use traditional method, that is Bhattis. In that there were pollution... carbon... it was full of difficulties. It consumed lot of time too. People used fall ill too. Even making the fire used to have lot of problems. So we got involved with an organization and made this new kiln. It works with much less time and no pollution, gives good quality products. We use domestic (cooking) gas for this and commercial gas too. As a result this kiln produce good quality material in less time and with no pollution. We use two cylinders to produce 1050 degree heat. It saves time, reduce labour input and the work quality is good. In traditional kiln too you need 2/3 people to run the fire. Because of carbon and pollution people often feel sick in that.
Abbas is a young man who has got an exposure to the outside world. His way of speaking, comfort and trust towards the camera paraphernalia proves that he has been engaged with things outside the ghetto of Dharavi. It is a combination of education, exposure to the outside world through NGO initiatives and his own interest. But he speaks with the monotonous detail of a professional demonstrator.
abbas dalwani
bhatti
demonstration
exposure
fire
health hazard
heat
kiln
kumbharwada
ngo
pollution
potters colony
pottery
temperature
We run it by domestic (cylinder). It has carbons, pipelines and two tube burnal (?)- we call them 2 aps burnals (?). With this per minute 180 degree fire is created. Which means in six hours 1050 degree fire can be made. In traditional kiln it takes 12 to 13 hours. It slowly grows to 1050... from 150 to 250 to 350... in six hours it reaches that point. In this (gas kiln) within 1 and a half hour 350 degree Celsius fire is created... and in six hours it is over. In this the labour input is less, the saving is more and the quality is also better.
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
bhatti
celsius
fire
gas cylinder
heat
kiln
kumbharwada
labour
potters colony
pottery
temperature
time
Canada
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
Q: what is the price of the whole set up?
- It depends on the size. There are large products and there are smaller ones. This kiln was a sample case for middle quality products. It has been successful and the potters have approved of it. It is a normal size kiln. From inside its size is 6 feet by 5 feet. In this four to five thousands pieces of normal products can be baked. Its cost Rs.150,000. There are larger kilns... for water pots or plant pots - the cost will go up with the size of the kiln. This is a modern kiln. We made it with the NGO YUVA (Youth for unity and voluntary action) - they had a collaborator...err... society kind of thing from Canada. They thought of making a pollution free kiln for the potters. So two years back they made it... Sandeep Manse, a ceramic artist - he too is a potter, he developed this design. Then we kept it in the Mirar (?) area in Kumbharwada. Every potter brought their own products and tasted it. It became successful. But the problem is that the potters here cannot access gas. There is a scarcity of gas. In the traditional kiln they put whatever rubbish, polluting things they can get. Those things are available everywhere. Because of unavailability of gas nobody is using the gas kiln. We can't even get domestic (cooking) gas, where to get for commercial use. Our organization thinks that we should be given an agency of gas which we can run ourselves. Every potter wants that. Anyway the govt. is giving subsidy to make kilns, but they don't give subsidy for gas. It would be better if we get subsidy for gas.
There are many NGOs, nationally and internationally, who run projects on Dharavi. The activities run from community education and cultural programme, health programme, enviormental projects, skill based workshops etc. But the problem is without the active cooperation from the govt. none of this programme could achieve any substantial result. Dharavi is a huge population of urban artisans, workers and petty traders. The community is integrated in a complex and manifold chain of exchanges. Smaller and project based initiatives by the NGOs cannot accommodate the whole picture. Only the state adminstration has the capacity to address an issue of this magnitude.
access
aid
bhatti
ceramic
demonstration
design
fire
govt
kiln
kumbharwada
ngo
pollution
potters colony
pottery
resources
sandeep manse
state
subsidy
youth for unity and voluntary action
yuva
It is wonderful. Just look at me. Here the kiln is on and we are just roaming around, wearing decent clothes. Are you facing any difficulty? None at all. You are talking to me comfortably, taking my interview. And the same thing in the case of traditional kiln there would be so much black smoke, so much pollution that you will be not be able to stand there, leave alone talking you will not be able to pass through the area. So much black pollution is there. So you can imagine how comfortable this is for us that we can sit around at home, do other chores, can talk.
Q: So are you trying...
- What trying... we are trying that the govt. gives us some subsidy. Its for the ordinary potters. The ones who do high quality works will be able to maintain their cost or may get some loan from some agencies. But the lower ones who make plant pots or water pots, if they get some subsidy; they all want to make this kiln only. Every potter cannot afford to make a kiln like this. They get works worth of 1500 or 500 - how will they make a kiln of 200,000 or 150,000? Nobody can get it. Even I have got it because some organization has donated it to me. I have not bought it personally. I do not have the capacity.
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Jari Mari, dindoshi, Mumbai
Pollution from the traditional bhattis (kilns) has been one of the popular issues used to generate public support in favour of re-development of Dharavi. Under the SRA (slum rehabilitation authority) scheme the inhabitants of the low rise houses will be re-located in high rise buildings. The scheme overlooks the need of the horizontal and ground level space for such livelihood practice such as pottery. Many of the earlier SRA projects - for example in Dindoshi where the slum dwellers of Jari Mari (next to the airport) are relocated - stand as a mockery of urban development policies. The 8 storied buildings need maintenance for light, lift, water etc. which the inhabitants cannot afford. So the pigeon hole houses of 250 square feet in high rise buildings now run without any of those amenities. Additionally the people have lost their livelihood which was specific to their earlier location. Clusters of high rise buildings housing thousands of working class people in one area have also brought down the value of daily wages. Some people attempt to continue their earlier livelihood practices - such as cooking for catering, tailoring, carpentry etc. - within the small living space. The result is a nightmarish cacophony of sound and air pollution.
amenity
artisan
baking
bhatti
cacophony
clay pots
daily wage
facility
fire
gas
govt
high rise building
invention
jri mari slum
kiln
kumbharwada
livelihood
low rise settlement
modern
pigeon hole
policy
pollution
potters colony
pottery
real estate
resource
slum rehabilitation authority
sra
state
subsidy
traditional
urban development
workers
working class
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
Pollution is only one of the cited issues by the Govt. But the main fact is that the low rise settlement of 223 hectre in the middle of the city must go in response to the rising real estate market. The call for tenders for the redevelopment of Dharavi has been responded by many international builders. But initiative such as the gas kiln, can create a handle for negotiation for the Dharavi inhabitants. With the present international fad over pollution it would be difficult for them to counter the campaign for their eviction. Such local small scale initiatives need to be foregrounded in order to create a space for negotiation with the govt. and their builders. But at a practical level the supply of gas can be a major obstacle, especially in the face of the present fuel crisis and its escalating price. It is one thing for an international NGO to work on a project on alternative development according to the international norm of health hazard and the likes. But it is completely another ball game to make it sustainable in reality.
Q: Is this included in the redevelopment plan?
If they include this in the redevelopment plan... why are we being evicted? It is said due to pollution - as Dharavi is in the middle of the city the pollution cannot be tolerated - that is why we are being chased out. But in gas kiln there is no pollution. Then they will not be able to throw us out even for the redevelopment. If the construction of this is included then nobody can evict us. We should get the kind of development that we want.
Q: So, now what do you want?
... that in the redevelopment we should be given a surplus area for work, living space, space for loading... every family... we have around1050 square feet area here. If we are given 225 square feet how will we work? Where will we set up the kiln? Where will we do the loading? Every potter has space equivalent to three families (what they are offering for three families).
Q: So what do you think? From the Govt. side is there any initiative to accommodate your plan within the redevelopment scheme?
- Not at all. From the govt. side there is no link between the redevelopment and this kiln. They just want the redevelopment as they want to construct buildings in collaboration with the builders. They have no value for the potters.
bhatti
builders
campaign
displace
eviction
fire
fuel
gas
health hazard
kiln
kumbharwada
living space
negotiation
policy
pollution
potters colony
pottery
public opinion
re-locate
real estate
urban development
work space
- Minimum... as far as I know... my father's father, my grand father came here... some 80 /90 years ago. There were families who came before that. During the British... they paid tax... the potters are old citizens. It is around 90/100 years minimum. So it is a big problem to move out the whole set up. They will not be able evict us. It is impossible. Because every potter cannot move his set up... even if they go out, out of the city - the cost of traveling etc. will go up majorly. Every potter will not be able to do that. The question of building construction, redevelopmet... seems impossible. They are not able to compensate for our value. We would agree to new set up if they give us 350 square feet as work space. Otherwise definitely not. Here the potters have such large spaces... everyone has separate space to live in and separate space to work on. As you can see there is space outside the house to set up the kiln. There is living quarter and there is the kiln, separate place for xxx loading, separate one for clay loading, another space for storage. Such space arrangement is not possible in buildings. Whoever has designed this kiln, a designer or an organization , it is so good that it can be set in any place, even at the ground floor of a flat - if they use the gas kiln. Each kiln can be used by five potters.
Dharavi settlement begun at the beginning of 20th century during the expansion of industrialization in the city. The British administration took initiative in settling migrant artisans at the border of the city in order to facilitate the material need of the growing city. The city grew over the century and now Dharavi is in the middle of the city and next to the state of the art business district of BKC (Bandra-Kurla complex). The space is needed, but moreover the artisans with independent workshops are not needed anymore. They will be replaced by sweatshops at the outskirts of the city.
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Bandra Kurla complex, Mumbai
administration
artisan
baking
bandra kurla complex
century
city
clay
displacement
growth
kumbharwada
livelihood
migrant
migration
potters colony
pottery
redevelopment
rehabilitation
sweatshop
work space
Canada
If the govt. gives us subsidy to make these kilns that would be very good.
Q: Has anybody from the govt. come to hear you out?
- Till now nobody has come, nobody. Only the private companies are coming. That to not the Indians. All foreigners, mostly Canadians. Nobody came from Indian companies or Indian govt. There was one BMC (Bombay municipality corporation) commissioner... also the corporator who promised that they would get us some agency for the gas. But on the condition that there is majority... maximum people should use gas kiln. But the potters do not want to make gas kiln unless they get the agency for gas. They will do the work only if they get the instrument for it. I mean nobody can work without the basic instruments. Even I may have to close down my set up if I don't get gas. So every other potter thinks on the same line - if even he could get it how would I manage. So I am just managing ... by getting gas from all sources, buying in black market, purchasing commercial gas - so that they believe. It is an year I am running this kiln. If every potter starts believing that there is problem in gas, it is not available - so why should we opt for it... I am running it for one year - so they feel 'it is working for him - so we should also opt for it'. But the problem is that they are not getting any aid, any subsidy. I am telling you nobody has the capacity to invest Rs.150,000. Potters earn something like Rs.200/300.
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
The NGOs have come with a solution which needs very serious govt. subsidy. Answer to pollution is use of gas, in a country like India - can it be a realistic solution?
administration
aid
bhatti
bmc
bombay municipality corporation
development
facility
feasibility
fire
fuel
gas
govt
invention
kiln
kumbharwada
ngo
plan
policy
potters colony
pottery
subsidy
Fuel crisis in India, as in the rest of the world, is increasing. Even cooking gas and petrol for automobiles have skyrocketed. Could the govt. take responsibility of developing another new sector of gas users?
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
Q: So you are facing problem in running the gas kiln?
- Only problem is that we are not getting fuel. There is no other problem. There is no problem in the system, no problem of time, nothing. Only problem is unavailability of fuel. Nothing else. The potters want to get their required fuel. If we get the agency... now we get one cylinder of 4 KG for Rs. 350/400/450, the same cylinder we will be able to get for rs.100/150. Even if they give us waste gas, of low quality, or which is rejected... that will do. We are not asking for pure gas. Now I am using the domestic or commercial gas.
automobiles
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bombay municipality corporation
facility
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fuel
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kiln
kumbharwada
petrol
potters colony
pottery
price
resources
subsidy
Being a young man who is exposed to the outside world, Abbas has understood the market limitation of traditional craft. The craft survived due to its utility. With the invasion of plastic the utility value of clay pot is fast diminishing. Some like Abbas can graduate to the consumers' market of ceramic goods. But that cannot accommodate the large number of potters residing in Dharavi. On the other hand when some potters opt for other vocations such as carpentry, tailoring - they get demoted from skilled workers to unskilled workers. It is a much larger issue of development.
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
Q: According to you what is the future of the Kumbharwada?
According to me - I am younger and what I can see is that my father, grand father used to do cheap work. It was not quality work, there is not much market value for that. I want to do ceramic work, want to do glazing - which has market value in India and also international market. If each potter can work on gas kiln and produce quality work they he would survive. The traditional work is about to close down. Today 4500 potters live in Kumbharwada and out of the only 150 people are working. Rest are opting for other jobs, tailoring, carpentry etc. Because this work does not have any marketing. So how would anyone work? If there is quality work then there will be a market, market will bring in money. No market, no quality - then what is there to do? Make the same old water pot, plant pot. Nothing will work, it all depend on the quality. And for quality a system is needed, for the system some instruments are needed. Govt. must support, there has to be marketing. Nothing can be done by individuals or by personal effort.
Q: What is your qualification?
- I am SSC pass. We three brothers have done SSC. Only difference is that I have done a diploma on ceramic art. I have changed my line of work. From traditional I have become professional. So I have a market, everything. But other potters don't have that. I want them too get it. xxxx
bhatti
ceramic
clay
consumer
demand
fire
kiln
kumbharwada
market
plastic
pot
potters colony
pottery
quality
skilled
supply
survival
ualification
unskilled
upgrading
utility
value
vocation
Earlier we potters used to work in xxx, the kind of work is called xxx. Now within the market the work is of xxx. I want all potters work in that xxx. Generally the potters don't teach. But I teach and also take workshop on quality control - so that every potter here can learn. In our society (organization) we conduct workshops for around 15 days. From each potters' family a boy or girl come and learn from me. You come tomorrow; I shall show you ceramic work. My manufacturing unit for the 'product' work is on the terrace - since there is no space here. We have made a special terrace where the production is on. There is also a small size gas kiln up there. We do glazing work there. I can show you that.
Here talks the NGO worker Abbas who believes that small community intervention can go a long way to change the larger picture.
Khumbharwada, Dharavi, Mumbai
bhatti
ceramic
clay pot
education
fire
kiln
kumbharwada
modern
ngo
pedagogy
potters colony
pottery
skill
technique
traditional
workshop
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