Miloon Kothari, former UN Rapporteur on adequate housing, condemns unlawful evictions & lack of rehabilitation in Mumbai
Statement by Mr. Miloon Kothari, then UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, to the World Urban Forum III (June 2006, Vancouver, Canada):
"Since November 2004 an estimated 400,000 slum dwellers have been displaced from their homes in the city of Mumbai, India. In May 2004 governmental promises were made to regularize slums built in Mumbai, India before the year 2000. Notwithstanding, in November the same year, the Mumbai government initiated a massive housing demolition drive lasting for several months resulting in an estimated 92,000 homes being razed to the ground throughout the city. Moreover, the Mumbai government has embarked on a new urban renewal initiative known as "Operation Makeover", to free up public spaces for infrastructure projects including commercial and entertainment centres. As a result, Mumbai has witnessed an intensification of demolitions, accompanied by the use of force against residents, and without provision of any rehabilitation or alternative housing to any of the evicted. In early May 2006, 5,000 houses in the slum communities of Indira Nagar and Janata Nagar in Mandala, near Mankurd in Mumbai were demolished and the rest set on fire, in the presence of members of the police force and municipal official representatives, with no or inadequate prior eviction
notice. "
Full text: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/EKOI-6QY52H?OpenDocument
Source: United Nations Commission on Human Rights
Date: 20 Jun 2006
"Since November 2004 an estimated 400,000 slum dwellers have been displaced from their homes in the city of Mumbai, India. In May 2004 governmental promises were made to regularize slums built in Mumbai, India before the year 2000. Notwithstanding, in November the same year, the Mumbai government initiated a massive housing demolition drive lasting for several months resulting in an estimated 92,000 homes being razed to the ground throughout the city. Moreover, the Mumbai government has embarked on a new urban renewal initiative known as "Operation Makeover", to free up public spaces for infrastructure projects including commercial and entertainment centres. As a result, Mumbai has witnessed an intensification of demolitions, accompanied by the use of force against residents, and without provision of any rehabilitation or alternative housing to any of the evicted. In early May 2006, 5,000 houses in the slum communities of Indira Nagar and Janata Nagar in Mandala, near Mankurd in Mumbai were demolished and the rest set on fire, in the presence of members of the police force and municipal official representatives, with no or inadequate prior eviction
notice. "
Full text: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/EKOI-6QY52H?OpenDocument
Source: United Nations Commission on Human Rights
Date: 20 Jun 2006
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