KOLKATA: Residents of a slum at 12, Gour De Lane in
Bowbazar
— barely 60 metres from the lanes where several houses have collapsed since Saturday — fear that they could be buried alive if more buildings tumble. The slum begins a mere six metres away from a four-storey residential building on the lane that has developed cracks and has been partially evacuated.
More than 400 people in the slum have been spending sleepless nights ever since the collapse began.
“We will be buried under the debris if the building near our slum falls. It has apparently developed cracks and residents have been asked to leave. But what about us? Metro engineers and the police have asked us to be ready to move out. But we have not been told about any alternative accommodation,” said homemaker Mantoo De, a resident of the slum.
Mantoo’s neighbour Riya Maity, who works as a domestic cook, said her house had started developing cracks. “We have shown the cracks to Metro engineers. They said the cracks were not serious. But what happens if the adjacent building collapses? We have not been able to sleep for the last five nights,” Riya said.
The slum residents feared that they if they take up a temporary shelter, they will lose their homes in the slum. Bani Saha, who works as an attendant, said she was in a dilemma. “It is dangerous for us to stay here. The houses around us are now unstable. But we have neither been offered any alternate shelter and nor is there any guarantee that they will allow us to return once we vacate our homes. If the Metro indeed provides an accommodation, they should assure us that our homes in the slum will be safe,” said Bani who has been living in a room at the slum for the last 45 years.
Promita Barua, who shares a shanty with her grandson, pointed out that allotting an alternate shelter to the slum dwellers could be difficult since most rooms were shared by multiple families. “Most families split a room into two or even three parts. Some even share it with another family,” she said.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword. Tamaghna Banerjee, a reporter from Kolkata, covers crime, aviatio...
Read MoreTamaghna Banerjee, a reporter from Kolkata, covers crime, aviation, human rights and politics. He has a keen interest in human interest and rural reporting. He has done his postgraduation in journalism and mass communication. He has a total of 14 years in journalism.
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