About 20 residents of Mahul held a protest outside Sena Bhavan in Dadar and handed over a letter to Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray’s personal assistant, requesting that houses earmarked for them be handed over as soon as possible.
The group of residents, who were affected by the Tansa pipeline project, had addressed the letter to Mr. Thackeray and sought prompt action with regard to their relocation.
Around 5,500 families staying along the pipeline were affected after the Bombay High Court declared the slum unfit for habitation last year. The High Court verdict was based on reports by the National Green Tribunal and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. The families are awaiting rehabilitation and the compensation announced by the court.
‘Demands not met’
Anita Dole, a Mahul resident, said, “We have been demanding our rights since 2017. Our concerns are not being taken seriously because we are poor.”
The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) had allocated 300 houses to the residents, which have still not been handed over to them.
The High Court had also directed the State government to pay a rent amount of ₹15,000 and a refundable deposit of ₹45,000 to the residents. In May, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had appealed against this order in the Supreme Court, which had stayed it.
Puja Pandit, another resident, said, “Around 5,500 families are living in terrible conditions. Mahul is an industrial zone and the area is very polluted. Diseases like tuberculosis, asthma and other skin diseases have become very common and have even caused a lot of deaths. We have requested both MHADA and BMC, but are just being bounced around. This is a violation of our right to life.” Bilal Khan, an activist with Ghar Banao Ghar Bachao, said, “People have lost their jobs and so many people are in severe debt. Living in the locality is affecting the health and education of children.”
