Nehru Nagar

Nehru Nagar is the only slum area in Vile Parle, it lies abusivly in a ground belonging to the airport and, probably for its convenient location, near to the train station and in a subburb where a lot of jobs are offered from the large amount of construction sites, had an amazing development in the last years.

"The first time I came here was in 1975 - says Veenod of Vimala Dermatological Centre - and there was just the few hundreds leprosy patients of which we were taking care, living in rudimental huts. Now it count 50000 people, coming from all over India, has electicity, paved alleys, bricks and cement houses and every kind of shops and activities."

As for all the other slums in Mumbai, Nehru Nagar is planned to be demolished, but the inhabitants don't want to mouve in the popular buildings that the governament is preparing for tham. Even if Nehru Nagar is still poor and overpopulated, they consider it a nice neighborhood where they have everything they need.

Albertina d'Urso with her work "Nehru Nagar" was among the DEEPER PRESPECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR nominees at the International Photography Awards 2010. A selection of this work was projected at the Lincoln Center in New York during the Eight Annual Lucie Awards and will be included in the 2010 IPA Annual book.

Published in Foto8 and in 100 Eyes magazine, issue: HOME.