Mumbai: Even without a roof over their head, the residents of Powai’s Jai Bhim Nagar that were evicted from their land on Thursday, have decided to fight back the BMC. The residents have decided to write to the suburban collector demanding rehabilitation, compensation and release of the residents arrested for pelting stones on BMC and police personnel.
On Thursday, around 600 makeshift settlements were demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in the Jai Bhim Nagar slum located near the Hiranandani Estate in Powai. According to the BMC, two notices for demolition and eviction were served to the hutments but the residents claim that they did not receive any notice and were assaulted by the police and bouncers of a builder firm during the anti encroachment drive. During the demolition, the residents had allegedly pelted stones hurting 20 government officials, for which 200 people have been booked by the police.
As the residents are not allowed to enter the demolished site which has been turned into a rubble of roofing sheets, the residents are living on footpaths outside Jai Bhim Nagar. On Sunday, Mumbai recorded its first spell of rain in the wee hours, the evicted residents managed to cover the footpaths with tarpaulin sheets to save themselves from the monsoon.
Purnima Wakde (33), a resident of Jai Bhim Nagar, said, “At 1 am, we had to ask for help from people living nearby so that we could save our children who were drenching in the rain. Some boys from the area came to our help, brought some bamboos and helped us cover the footpaths. We are totally dependent on other people who help us with food, water and all our necessities. The BMC did not even think about pregnant women living in the locality or the kids ranging from newborns to a year old.”
However, in a mood to fight back, the residents have decided that they will not vacate the footpaths until their demands are not met. After cancelling a rally organised on Sunday, the residents have decided to write to the Mumbai suburban collector demanding rehabilitation at another place or the old place, compensation against the loss suffered by the residents due to the demolition and release of residents who are arrested by police for stone pelting.
Madhavi Gaikwad, a local leading the Jai Bhim Nagar Rahivashi Bachaav Samiti, said, “We have cancelled the rally on the request made by police but we will write to the district collector conveying our ordeal and put forth our demands. Even if we have to bare the monsoon without a roof over our head for four months, we won’t be moving from here until we get a written assurance.”
While the issue of land on which Jai Bhim Nagar was constructed is in the court, civil organisations have been alleging violation of government resolution restricting demolition of slums during monsoon. The Jan Haq Sangharsh Samiti, which has been assisting the locals for getting their land back, cited a GR by Urban Development department from June 2021, which states that unauthorised constructions in the State should not be demolished from June 1 to September 30.
Sanjana, a volunteer with the Jan Haq Sangharsh Samiti, said, “The BMC’s act is in clear violation of the GR restricting demolition in monsoon. It is just inhumane to leave the people homeless in the rains. There should also be an investigation about the involvement of a private builder firm in the demolition. We will stand by the people until they get a roof over their head.”
