: The residents of the Sadar Bazar slum that was razed on Monday evening are no strangers to such massive blazes. Over the last nine years, they have encountered major fire incidents on four occasions.
The previous such blaze in April 2012 had left a majority of them homeless. The fire had spread quickly owing to the fact that most of the huts were built of plastic.
Taking lessons from that incident, they went on to construct houses made of brick. That, however, did not prove to be effective.
Amod Kumar Mandal, the head of the slum, said 317 houses were gutted on Monday.
While he claimed that over 1,500 people were left homeless, the police and the fire department put the number at 800.
A visit to the slum on Tuesday presented heart-rending scenes of families left homeless and penniless.
Left in the lurch
“Almost all of us have lost all the money we made during the festival season,” said Gudiya Devi, a woman who lost all her savings of Rs. 40,000 and the stock of bangles that she was to sell over the next one month.
Hakru Mandal, a physically challenged man, has been left distressed.
His wife expects to deliver their child later this month and he had saved Rs. 15,000 for the medical expenses.
“When the fire broke out, I sent my children with my wife to safety while I stayed back at my house to pick up whatever little belongings I could. I managed to save a bag, but couldn’t spot the cash,” said Mandal.
Smoke, meanwhile, continued to bellow from several spots at the slum. Firefighters attributed the delay to burning rags and scraps buried under the debris.
The congestion in the Old Delhi area meant that only three fire tenders could reach the spot quickly.
The rest were stuck in traffic jams or struggled to find place to station themselves near the slum.
Fear of epidemic outbreak
The Delhi government had arranged tents and food for the locals by 11 p.m. on Monday, but hygiene remained a major concern.
“The locals fear that an epidemic will break out if steps are not taken for ensuring hygiene,” said Anupam, a member of the Swaraj India party that visited the slum.
