GHMC cleans up gutted slum; razes remaining huts

​Hyderabad: In a nocturnal operation, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Monday demolished the remaining huts at Patrika Nagar slum in Madhapur where about 100 huts were reduced to ashes in a fire mishap on March 22.

Due to the hurried decision of the GHMC, the dwellers in the slum were forced to shift to the fringes of the city, where a temporary rehabilitation was set-up by the civic authorities.   Laxmi Kammari, a 30-year-old woman who earns her livelihood stitching clothes, was the last one to leave the slum. She, along with her family, was made to stand before the debris of their hut, just demolished by the GHMC officials.

Laxmi lived there for 18 long years ever since her childhood. She was married 12 years ago. Voter Id and Aadhaar card were issued to her on the same address. Her two children are pursuing fifth and sixth standard respectively at a nearby government school. It is time for the annual exams but now they are forced to move away by the officials.  It is not just the story of a Laxmi. Around 350 families were forcibly evacuated from the slum. Many of them have been living on government lands for about 20 years. 

“When I came here, it was all jungle. We set up thatched huts without any basic amenities. Slowly, we were provided ration card, Aadhaar card, electricity and so on,” said 70-year-old Dinbandhu Swain, who was migrated to the city from Orissa.

“When the officials came with a proposal to relocate, we asked for Pattas (land documents) and they denied it. We were denied justice,” Laxmi said. “We were threatened that police force would be used if we resisted. The police detained some men to ease demolition and evacuation,” she said. The move of evacuating illegal occupants is a consequence of the recent fire accident in which several huts were gutted. The Revenue officials enumerated the count at 74, and 64 allotments of houses were made to the victim families at Ameenpur. The rest of the slum dwellers were shifted to Gowlidoddi.

The people rehabilitated to Gowlidoddi alleged that there was no water or electric supply and even no toilet in the new ‘single bedroom’ flats. “We could earn good money working in the posh area like Hitec City. It would be highly difficult for us to find new jobs. We were driven away like cattle,” said Chilumula Bhaskar, another victim.

Speaking to The Hans India, V Mamatha, Deputy Commissioner, Serilingampally, said, “Though, they were illegal occupants, the government on humanitarian grounds has facilitated temporary housing. A park was supposed to come up here but due to their occupancy, it was delayed.”

By: Kartheek B