Life in Hebbal Settlement, Bangalore, India: a reality sketch
Written by Karthik Bhaskara and Nikhil Shenai with input from Tanvi Deshpande, Kavya Michael, Amir Bazaz and Tali Hoffman
The ASSAR urban research team at IIHS focuses on understanding differential vulnerability of informal settlement dwellers in Bangalore. One of our chosen sites is the informal settlement in Hebbal where many interstate migrant waste pickers from West Bengal live.
On one particular visit to the Hebbal settlement we were accompanied by a duo of adroit graphic artists from Ladyfingers Co. who were there to capture the focus group discussion we had planned for the day. We prepped the artists about the sensitivities of conducting focus group discussions in informal settlements, and – with the consent of local residents – they discreetly captured the discussion and a few sights around the settlement.
Here is what we learnt from local residents that day…