New flats became available just as lockdown hit and the allocation got delayed, now 584 families have to stay put in the polluted area
The SRA colony in Appapada, Malad, where 584 flats have been allocated to the residents of Mahul
Within just a couple of weeks of 202 Mahul families getting the keys to their houses in Gorai, the lockdown brought the process of allocating another 584 flats in Malad to a grinding halt. While lockdown restrictions were relaxed in June, there were delays on the part of both, civic officials busy with COVID-19-related duties and residents, who are yet to submit a list of eligible candidates due to internal disagreements.
202 families got homes in Gorai
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After continued protests and appeals to Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray, 202 families got keys to new homes in Gorai in the first week of March. While MHADA had given 300 flats to the BMC, the allocation of 98 flats was pending. Soon after, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority also handed over 584 flats in Appapada, Malad east. As the lockdown began, Mahul residents, who have suffered long because of high levels of pollution in the area, had to stay put.
Senior civic officials said that while lockdown restrictions have been lifted, officials in the M West ward are handling COVID-19-related work. "We have approached residents for a list of names for the Appapada flats that were handed to us just before the lockdown. The ward officials need to verify the list to ensure that only residents who are currently living in Mahul will be allocated homes. However, they are busy with COVID-19 duties. We'll start the verification process once we have the list," said a senior civic official.
Mahul resident Ashwini Sasane with her family
Among those waiting for new homes are also those who did not get houses in Gorai despite being on the earlier list of 300 families. Within two to three months of moving to Mahul in 2017, Ashwini Sasane, 29, had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. While it took her two years to recover completely, her mother still suffers from breathing difficulties. "We were really looking forward to moving out of Mahul, we have suffered enough. But we weren't given a flat and the BMC refused to give us a proper reason. My family was very disheartened but I have hopes that we will get a flat soon," she said. Sasane lives in Mahul with her mother, 57, and two other sisters.
Issue of two lists
There seems to be a disagreement among the residents on the process of shortlisting the names. While one group is led by activist Medha Patkar, the other involves activist Bilal Khan. Both have said that they will submit a list of their own.
"We are in the process of preparing the lists. Previously, BMC had not allocated flats to 98 families in Gorai. Our subcommittee is reassessing the situation. We are also preparing a list for Malad based on criteria like health, distance to place of work and school in a democratic process," said Patkar. She added that two lists would be submitted to the BMC within a week.
Khan said that they had already submitted the list of 98 names for Gorai before the lockdown and are now working on the list for Appapada. "Around the time the lockdown started, the BMC had approached us for a list for Appapada. Due to the restrictions, we weren't able to work on it. We have started preparing the list and will submit it to the BMC soon. We hope that the flats will be allocated quickly," he said.
The senior civic official said that if two lists are submitted, they will both be sent to the civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal. "We will seek advice from the commissioner since the initiative of allocating flats was a political decision. We cannot choose between the lists," said the official. Civic officials had earlier stated that the 98 flats were not allocated since the residents named in the list were not living in Mahul and had moved elsewhere.
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