While the BMC has denied that the living conditions are dangerous there needs to be more done to find out why then, do these people claim they are falling prey to these diseases only after moving to Mahul
Families that were displaced in the Tansa pipeline project have moved back to their neighbourhood even if it means living on the road, a front-page report said in this paper. More than 1,000 families were displaced from Vidyavihar in 2017 and placed in Mahul in Slum Rehabilitation Authrity (SRA) flats.
These Project Affected Persons (PAP) claim many of them fell prey to Tuberculosis (TB) because of the pollution in heavily industrialised Mahul. They claim they have a host of ailments like respiratory issues, hair loss, stomach bloating and dysentery because of the polluted air and water in Mahul. Their SRA homes are located uncomfortably close to several chemical plants and oil refineries which spew noxious fumes, effluents and sewage into the air and water.
While the BMC has denied that the living conditions are dangerous, there needs to be more done to find out why then, do these people claim they are falling prey to these diseases only after moving to Mahul.
The BMC says they have checked samples of water, etc, and it is the people staying there who throw garbage out of the windows. Let the truth come out instead of finger pointing.
Meanwhile, PAP who are suffering must be given adequate and immediate treatment. When civic authorities move people out due to infra projects they must look at the feasibility of the place. A great deal of planning has to go into giving temporary homes to PAP, and their return timeline should be clearly communicated, too.
People cannot be moved into shoddy and downright dangerous spaces, as they have been displaced for no fault of theirs. While their accommodation need not be luxurious, it needs to be safe, hygienic and habitable. Look into the Mahul problem at the earliest and learn from this while rehabilitation plans are drawn up for other PAP, too.
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