Wadala slums seek divine help

The residents of the Bhimwadi and Nityanand Nagar slums in Wadala are hoping that a temple will shield them from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s hammer.

The BMC is currently on a slum demolition drive, and the Wadala slums were served notice a few days ago.

To save their shanties from demolition at the hands of municipal squads, the residents are putting a wall around a tiny Hanuman temple to expand its area so that the BMC machines find it impossible to enter the slums. Their reasoning is that the BMC officials will not demolish a place of worship. Local residents say that about 5000 to 7000 people live in these slums.

A shed and a wall is now being hastily built around the temple, which is said to be 40 years old, dating from the origin of the slum. The constructions are almost complete.

The BMC’s demolition drive has made local residents angry. Residents said demolition notices were an annual affair. They termed the demolition drive an attempt by local builders to clear land for a road from Bhimwadi to Nityanand Nagar.

F North ward official BA Pawar was unavailable for comment.