Residents of the Garib Nagar and Indira Nagar slums in Bandra (East) gathered outside the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Ward Office in Santacruz (East) on Thursday to protest against the BMC for not rehabilitating them and disconnecting their electricity supply.
Local corporator Haji Halim Khan, who led the protest, said, “The two main demands of the residents are that the 163 families in Indira Nagar who have been deemed eligible for rehabilitation should be given houses immediately, and that supply of electricity to houses in Garib Nagar be restored.”
On July 7, the BMC demolished over 400 hutments in Indira Nagar as a part of its drive to remove encroachments along the Tansa pipeline. The drive is as per a 2009 High Court directive to remove all encroachments within 10 metres of either side of the pipeline. According to the corporator and activists, the 163 families who have been declared eligible for rehabilitation in Mahul, have spent the last 10 days on the street.
On October 26, the BMC carried out a demolition drive in Garib Nagar, during which a fire gutted several homes. The drive continued a few days after the fire.
Houses that weren’t demolished have not had electricity since then.
“We have been living in darkness for nearly three weeks now,” said Abdul Rashid Ansari. Locals said water supply had been discontinued too.
Mr. Khan said that after the protests, Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar directed ward officials to resume the power supply to Garib Nagar within one day, and to hand over keys to the new houses to those eligible within two days.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (special) Nidhi Chaudhari, who has additional charge of Removal of Encroachments Department, had said had said that the keys would be handed over on Friday.
On Friday, 35 of the 163 families received keys to their new homes.
Power supply, however, is yet to be restored to Garib Nagar, Mr. Khan said.
