Natural features were transformed in response to the growing demand for space for factories,touring and other institutions. Large quantities of refuse and waste production polluted air and water, while excessive noise became a feature of urban life. Hundreds of factory chimneys spewed black smoke into the skies. Domestic sewage and factory wastes polluted water and soil. There was serious housing problems in the cities resulting in congestion, overcrowding and sanitation problems. Streets were full of squalour and crowded with houseless migrants.Cities like London, Bombay and Calcutta were over-populated and over-polluted.