Fire razes slums during BMC demolition drive

(Photo: Eviction Watch)

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 01:01:52 am
TIMES OF INDIA

MUMBAI: A fire razed a slum at Mandala in Mankhurd on Tuesday morning when the municipal authorities were conducting a demolition drive. Two girls and three women were rushed to the hospital with burn injuries.

Some of the slumdwellers alleged that the BMC had set the slum on fire to make the demolition work easier."The BMC and the police set our houses on fire by using our own stoves," claimed 18-year-old Naushad Khan.

"They first entered our houses and drove us all out with lathis. And then the slum caught fire. Even my ration shop was razed by the fire," said Mehrunissa Ansari.

Simpreet Singh, an activist of the National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM), said: "This is the first time such a tactic has been used in Mumbai. The civic authorities in Delhi regular burn down slums."

The BMC denied having a hand in the fire. "The slumdwellers set their own homes on fire. If we wanted to set the houses on fire why would we inform the fire brigade?" asked deputy municipal commissioner Kalam Patil.

Another BMC official said: "Initially, the slumdwellers blocked our way when we tried to enter the slum. After we managed to enter, they set their huts ablaze to prevent us from carrying out the demolition." The police too said the slumdwellers had set their homes on fire.

Sources said the fire brigade did little to douse the blaze even though 15 engines were pressed to service. However, the firemen said they did their best.

"The moment we douse the flames at one spot, they sprung up at another," said V H Naik, deputy chief fire officer of Byculla fire brigade.

Several women at the slum alleged that they were manhandled by the BMC officials. Sairunissa Sheikh complained that she was hit on her legs as she ran out of her house.

The BMC had put up a notice on the wall of a neighbouring construction on Monday night, saying that demolitions would begin the next day and that the slumdwellers should vacate the area by night.

Though the notice said that slums at only Indira Nagar would be demolished, the BMC razed the Janata Nagar slums as well.

"Chapter 1-B, clause 3-Z of the Maharashtra Slum Area Act states that it is illegal to demolish slums without a 24-hour notice," said Singh.

In an affidavit filed by the state government last year, the 50-acre slum at Mandala had been reserved for rehabilitating slumdwellers from the eastern suburbs who had lost their homes during last year's demolition drive.

Fifty families had already been allotted space to build their houses out of a list of 130. NAPM will move the court on Wednesday.

The survey of eligible slumdwellers is yet to be completed, even though the monsoon is just a month away, said activists. Meanwhile, 25 huts were also razed in Colaba.