SOCIAL segregation is not an evil of a bygone era; in modern times, it is flaunted as the solution to complex urban problems of our country. Mantras such as "keep the polluting industry out,' "relocate industry from residential areas,' and "rehabilitate the slum dwellers elsewhere' reverberate through the corridors of power, today. This is how the Indian government reacts to a very complex governance challenge: the organic but uncontrolled and unorganised sector that mushrooms in our cities. The sector has two faces: it is refuge for millions of migrant hopefuls; its teeming millions also provide the low cost spine for India's economic growth.

When the government wants to expunge the slum areas of their filth and squalor it invites builders to redevelop these areas. In Dharavi, Mumbai one such ambitious move awaits implementation. Efforts are on to