Eight years ago, Dayanand Bhadwankar fell off a dahi handi pyramid and injured his spinal cord. The 32-year-old son of a mill worker cannot walk without the help of a walking stick, much less afford medical treatment. To him, the Supreme Court decision to cap the height of human pyramids is positive. Yet, much more needs to be done for financial and logistical support, he says.
“When the incident took place there was some help from organisers and the government, but now, there is nobody to help. The doctor has suggested an injection next month that costs around Rs. 2 lakh. With a monthly income of around Rs. 8,000, it’s not possible for us to bear the expense,” says Bhadwankar, who lives with his mother, father and a younger brother at Wadi Chawl, Chinchpokli.
Loses job after fall Following the fall, he was admitted to KM Hospital and then to Hinduja Hospital, where a surgery was performed. The accident cost him his job, and the only earning member in the family now is his 26-year-old brother, an office assistant in an Andheri firm.
Nagesh Bhoir, 29, from Bhiwandi, shares Bhadwankar’s plight. A fall from the pyramid in 2009 left him bedridden, with spinal cord injuries.
Bhoir, who was a collector with a local bank, lives with his parents and a sister. “I don’t want to comment on the height of the dahi handi pyramid but I respect the court’s decision. It will cause fewer injuries. Someone should take responsibility for the injured. There should be a mechanism to provide relief,” he says. His family is trying hard to raise funds for his medical treatment. “My father, who used to work at local dyeing company, has not been able to resume work for the last two months and our family income is zero. As soon as we are able to collect Rs. 10 lakh, I can go in for surgery,” he said.
Till the authorities put their heads together for the rehabilitation of people like Bhadwankar and Bhoir, they will have to wait for kindred souls who come forward to help them.
