Maharashtra: SHRC Takes Suo Motu Action On Alarming Lack Of Basic Amenities In Gorai Village

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a news report exposing severe infrastructural neglect in Gorai village.

According to the report, residents of Gorai have endured inadequate access to essential services such as electricity, water, healthcare, and education for over seven decades since independence.

The SHRC presided over by Justice K K Tated and M A Sayeed have ordered an investigation under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, highlighting the human rights implications of the region’s ongoing deprivation.

“The absence of basic facilities impacts the human rights of numerous individuals in Gorai,” the SHRC’s order stated. The commission has summoned relevant government authorities, requiring them to conduct a fact-finding inquiry and submit a report by November 18, 2024.

The report published in a regional news paper, have displayed Gorai village in a sorry state, which is still fighting for basic amenities. The news report stark picture of daily life in Gorai, an island located just off Borivali and under the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Despite its proximity to urban Mumbai, Gorai has been left without consistent water and electricity supplies, a proper school, or healthcare facilities. Residents needing medical attention often must walk over 15 kilometers to reach Bhayander or take a boat to Borivali for treatment, as there is no hospital on the island.

Furthermore, the report highlighted the village’s lack of a functional crematorium. While there is a crematorium along the shore, it becomes inaccessible during high tide, forcing villagers to wait for the waters to recede to conduct last rites.

The news report further added that although Gorai lacks essential services, the island hosts numerous private resorts, elite farmhouses, and vacation properties. This disparity between private development and basic public infrastructure has only added to the residents’ frustrations.