Garib Nagar slum rises from ashes

For over a month, the 400-odd families rendered homeless by a massive fire at Bandra’s Garib Nagar slums braved the sun and the heat, and waited for the authorities to provide them shelter.

While the authorities are busy debating the age-old argument on the title of the land, the slumdwellers are rebuilding their homes with their meagre savings and monetary help from some well-wishers. Each family has contributed Rs15,000.

“What choice do we have? For a month-and-a-half, we have been living on the road. The government paid us Rs30,000 as compensation. To build a ground plus one-storey house, we need at least an additional Rs90,000. If well-wishers don’t help, we will have to borrow,” lamented Shainaz Abdul Shaikh, 26, a mother of three daughters and a son.

“We want at least ground-floor homes for all the families who have the required documents before the monsoon starts,” said Salima Qureshi, secretary of the Ekta Welfare committee, which has been formed to overlook the work.

The destruction caused by the March 5 fire - 700 shanties gutted, portion of the foot-over bridge and the skywalk near Bandra station gutted down - has prompted the residents to opt for iron columns and cement sheets instead of wood in the construction of their homes. “We will not even be able to hammer nails, but this is the best way to prevent loss in case of a fire,” said Shahida Shaikh. While the contractors drill columns for them, the residents carry bricks and sand.

“Every household has given up one foot of space so that all the slums are in a line and look organised,” said Parvina, a neighbour of Rubina Shaikh, who acted in the Oscar-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire. “People who want a basin and other requirements will have to shell out more,” Sharif Shaikh told DNA. He admitted that raising funds was a problem as his business of selling phenyl door-to-door has been badly affected after the fire.

Shainaz, who owned three tenements before the fire, is unhappy that she will have to settle for a smaller home since the committee has decided to build just ground plus one structures to ensure wider lanes for easy access. Two rooms were rented by her to make ends meet.

The people of Garib Nagar complained that the contractors were overcharging them because of their circumstances, but they also showered praise on their MLA. “Bala Sawant is the only person in touch with us. He wrote to the Railways not to shift us out,” said Qureshi. “The government of course continues to be insensitive. They sent us a demolition notice day before yesterday. How can we be illegal when Sunil Dutt, as MP, got us here. We are planning to hold a dharna and hunger strike against the government for not doing anything for us.”