Slum clearance in India is used as an urban renewal approach to redevelop and transform poor and low income settlements into new developments or housing. Millions of people live in slum dwellings across India and many migrate to live in the slums from rural villages, often in search of work opportunities. Houses are typically built by the slum dwellers themselves and violence has been known to occur when developers attempt to clear the land of slum dwellings.
Reasons for wanting to clear slums vary, although land value when sold to developers is higher due to the communities that had settled and built their own homes. In some cases, such as in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, slum areas are located in desirable locations, such as on an embankment which provide opportunities for development of higher class housing and commercial units. Occasionally, slums can encroach on areas deemed a safety concern, such as near to railway tracks or on land desired for expansion, such as with Mumbai international airport.
The 2011 census estimated that 65 million people lived in around 108,000 slums across India.