‘Damu Nagar slums not on forest land’

MUMBAI: The Congress on Wednesday came out with documents showing the land on which Damu Nagar stands is not forest land but belongs to a trust. The party also alleged conspiracy behind the recent fire at the slums in the area and demanded an inquiry.
However, a fire brigade report indicated that a short circuit in one of the slums had aggravated after coming in contact with LPG cylinders.The fire brigade has suggested that no LPG cylinders in temporary structures should be allowed.
A fire broke out at Damu Nagar slums in Kandivli (east) on December 7, killing two persons and destroying more than 2,000 hutments.
“It a is private land and we suspect that the fire was a conspiracy to remove slumdwellers from the land. A few years ago, the victims of a Bandra slum fire received Rs 25,000 relief from the state, but the BJP government has offered Damu Nagar victims only Rs 3,800. The government should increase the amount and conduct an inquiry,” said city Congress president Sanjay Nirupam.
On the ground, a week has gone by but the Damu Nagar fire victims are still struggling to get back to normal life. Though residents of nearby housing societies have come forth to help by providing clothes and food to the victims, the slumdwellers are yet to be back on their feet.
“I have not taken a bath since a week as the place is open. We have managed to build a roof with rags but the house is open from all sides,” said 12-year-old Archana Gupta. She is a Class VIII student and has been missing her school since the fire. Her siblings too have not been going to school. “My mother has started working so that we can buy school uniforms,” she said.
“The school has agreed to help kids with the syllabus once they rejoin,” said a slumdweller. Most of the victims work in nearby buildings as house help, guard and sweeper.