Zamrudhpur is a vertical slum township located near a posh residential area of Delhi. It consists of multi-storied structures where 6-10 people live crammed together in tiny single rooms with difficult conditions. Many residents are migrants who have lived there for 10-20 years or more, working as day laborers for neighbors. Sanitation is poor, with only one toilet for every 30 households and public toilets used mainly by men. The community has a heterogeneous population from various cultures and some local efforts are underway to improve sanitation issues.

1. Zamrudhpur, Delhi
Vertical slums in residential Delhi
Community Composition: Heterogenous. A portion of the residents have been living
there for 10-20 years. There are a lot of migrants from Orissa/ Bengal/Tamil Nadu who
reside in rented rooms.
General Description: Zamrudpur is like a slum township. There are multi-storied
structures, where 6-10 people live in a tiny single room in very tough conditions. It’s
located in very close to a posh residential area, and most of the inhabitants work as day
time workers (maids/ drivers etc) for their neighboring residents.
Sanitation Situation: Most of the vertical slums have a toilet and bathroom attached. The
toilet to people ratio in these settlements are very skewed ( 1 toilet for 30 odd households).
There is a public toilet in the periphery of the community which is frequented by mostly
men.
Top Reasons to Choose This Location/Unique Aspects:
1. Unique housing/ sanitation systems and living conditions. The trials and tribulations that
people go through while going about their day to day sanitation activities will be interesting
to study.
2. The general population is varied. There are people from different cultures/ beliefs.
3.There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the different people we interviewed. We saw a
local individual who has started an organisation to uplift the community’s sanitation woes.