These shantytown families await slum tag for a better life

BENGALURU: Less than 5km from Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature, nearly 60 families live in squalor on the streets. About 40 of these families live by Siddaiah Road, on a piece of land bordering a stormwater drain, while18 families stay in makeshift dwellings across the thoroughfare.

Despite the place being identified as ‘untenable’ land by the

Slum Development Board

, the families are yet to be moved out and rehabilitated. The reason: the settlement is yet to be declared a slum and only such a tag can redeem them from the squalor and homelessness.

Residents recall countless incidents of their makeshift homes being cleared by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) when they are away at work. They say they returnhome only tofind their belongings a scattered mess.

With all their worldly stuff packed into gunny bags and lying by the roadside, the street dwellers say they simply tie a piece of tarpaulin over themselves at night, and sleep on the pavements.

However, it is young, homeless women who face the greatest danger and recount multiple tales of horror when men assault them under the cover of darkness.

Valli, 30, a pourakarmika, says it is impossible for her and her teenage daughter to sleep in peace. She is a widow, as are most other women who live here.

“We cower in fear every night. Men come on motorcycles and pass lewd comments. Sometimes, they lie down next to the girls and misbehave. They even pick up girls and dump them the next morning. We never know when the Palike will come and destroy whatever we have. If they give us homes, we can leave,” she says.

Ammu, a 19-year-old orphan, stays with Valli’s family. Picked up at knifepoint a few months ago, she managed to escape, but not without having her clothes ripped. Women say men get drunk at a bar nearby and taunt them.

Babanna, one of the oldest residents of the community, says they have been living on the street at the same place for as long as he can remember.

“We were living here when the surrounding buildings and shops hadn’t come up. There was a cattle farm here then. We have no security and are at the mercy of the government,” he says.

Another senior citizen, Abida Behen, losther husband three years ago to alcoholism. Being too old to get any proper employment, she begs near thelocal mosque and sells the scrap she collects to feed her family of four.

While most community members are ragpickers, a few recently found employment as sanitation workers with the BBMP. However, NGO workers associated with the Karnataka Slum Janara Sanghatanegala Okkoota say that though relief was promised years ago, it has been a long time coming. Various NGOs have been taking care of the community in their time of need.

Sundar, a mechanic who managed to open a repair shop in the area, says that they have to walk halfa-kilometre to relieve themselves. “That’s where the nearest toilet is and we have to pay to use the facility. We bathe once in two-three days. We cannot even cook our meals until the nearby shops are shut, as the store owners complain of fumes. If we want to complain about any injustice, we are chased away by cops and blamed for sleeping on the road and inviting trouble. How is it our fault when we have nowhere to go?” he asks.

Demographic survey

For a settlement to be recognized as a slum, a demographic survey of the inhabitants must be submitted. These were done independently, as well as by the BBMP. A meeting with the chief secretary was held in February 2014 with this matter as the main agenda. Certain resolutions were passed as an outcome of the meeting, like making temporary arrangements for the families and taking steps to rehabilitate them. Despite this, nothing has moved on the ground.

Red tape holds up rehabilitation
Prakash Rao, a clerk with the revenue department of the Slum Development Board, said a letter had been sent to the deputy commissioner last year under Section 11 of the Karnataka Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act, 1973, to declare the community a slum and rehabilitate them.

He says that while no extra land can be given, they can be accommodated under one of the housing projects being developed. “The order from the DC is pending. On an average, it takes six to eight months from declaration to actual rehabilitation,” he said.

The principal secretary of the housing department had, in 2014, requested BBMP, DC and the Slum Board to rehabilitate the families, given their living conditions, Rao said.

RV Devraj, chairman of the

Karnataka Slum Development Board

, said that all approvals were in place from his department, and that they could be moved in the next twoand-a-half months.

“The move was delayed as the houses were not ready. We will move them to the excess houses in Marathahalli or Bheemanakuppe. We proposed that they be moved to either location. Once the projects are inaugurated by the chief minister, we can move the identified 55 beneficiaries where they will each get homes,” he said. Devraj said 30,000 houses were being built across 40 acres in parts of the city.