JAGA Mission as advanced, with each passing day. From land security, it has elevated to become a slum upgrading and renewal programme. For a mission of less than half a decade, JAGA has been a juggernaut of sorts, with 1.6 million urban poor having received land rights, 550 slums upgraded in-situ with basic infrastructure and services in the pilot phase, eight settlements becoming slum-free through upgrading, and 2225 slums in various stages of slum upgradation.

121 slums with 15,978 households have been identified to be located in environmentally hazardous areas and therefore are to be relocated to 26 new habitats, to be planned, designed, and built by the community themselves.

Five cities with the potential for increased migration have been converted into living labs for “slum proofing” – the process of progressing from slum upgrading to slum-free cities which have recipes against the future creation of slums.

As slums emerge out of a systemic failure, their transformation requires a triangulation of political will, committed leadership, and empowered communities that enable urban reforms to be consistent and inclusive. Odisha sees the perfect combination of these features. Source: Odisha News Tune Drone survey under JAGA Mission © JAGA Mission SDA leaders in Community Meetings in Odisha © JAGA Mission Chilldren in upgraded slums of Odisha © JAGA Mission