Mahul residents protest for a better living space

November 12, 2018 12:38 am | Updated 12:38 am IST

Mahul residents forming a human chain in Ghatkopar on Sunday.

Mahul residents forming a human chain in Ghatkopar on Sunday.

Mumbai: Hundreds of Mahul residents on Sunday formed a one-km-long human chain in Ghatkopar (East) as a mark of protest against the toxic environment in which they are living.

“They should have been rehabilitated to a place that is liveable. This (Mahul) is equal to a gas chamber. None of the reports from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), IIT Bombay were taken into consideration. This is a clear fault of the government which isn’t for the poor,” social activist Medha Patkar, who participated in the protest organised by Mahul Sangharsh Prakalpgrast Samiti, said.

Around 5,500 families at Mahul, Chembur, which has oil refineries and a chemical fertiliser plant, are suffering from excessive air and water pollution, and have been protesting for relocation for the last few years. These families were rehabilitated to Mahul from Andheri, Kurla and Ghatkopar after being displaced for various infrastructure projects over the years. According to Ms. Patkar, the NGT has imposed a fine of ₹1 crore on refineries. She said as per the existing provisions, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation should make houses with the MMRDA available to the project-affected people.

Vinod Tawde, guardian minister of Mumbai (suburban), will meet Housing Minister Prakash Mehta on Monday over the issue.

On Sunday, the residents carried banners with statements such as ‘we are not dying, government is killing us’, ‘where are our basic rights’.

“I have lost all my hair due to toxic water; when we boil our water we witness chemical residues. In every family, there is a person who has temporary or permanent paralysis,” Aruna Palkar, one of the protesters, said.

“My daughter died within two months of shifting to this place. She was perfectly healthy; both of my sons have not gotten up from bed; my husband is ill. There is no income; how do we live? If you don’t believe me, look at my skin suffering from allergies. What option remains other than to protest?” Nanda Shivaji Satpute, another resident, said.

Momid Qureshi said apart from the health, education of children is at stake. “There are no schools around, and because of this toxic environment, children are usually ill and are unable to go to school,” he said.

“There is no going back. Our people are dying. We are going to fight till our last breath, but we can’t stay here any more,” Shalini Jadhav said.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.