Mumbai: After being evicted, Bandra slum dwellers protest outside CM Uddhav Thackeray’s home

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray

We have no money, how do we move somewhere else and that too amid a pandemic?" ask residents of Bandra Slaughter House slums after holding a demonstration outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence Matoshree on Tuesday. They were protesting against the forced eviction by the BMC, which said the locals need to leave for their own safety.

H West ward officials, with heavy police bandobast, went to the area in the morning and cut off water and electricity connection. "The slums have dilapidated buildings that fall under C1 category, and need immediate evacuation. We have been serving them notices since past one year and have also given allotment letters of temporary transit homes, but no one is moving. And that is why the action was initiated," said Vinayak Vispute, assistant commissioner, H West ward.

Imran khan, a resident said, "We have been living here for several decades. The BMC is asking us to leave and move to temporary transit homes in Dahisar, Kandivli, etc. But it is not giving any clarity on the redevelopment or when it will let us return."

"They disconnected water and electricity supply, and that too amid a raging pandemic. We have been struggling for the past one year, as there is no work and we have even run out of money. Where and how should we move away?" asked Khan.

Saleem Shaikh, another resident, said the BMC wants us to shift to areas that are 20-25 km away from their current residence. "Our children have schools and we work as daily wagers in nearby areas. How are we going to manage? We had asked the BMC to shift us to areas within a 3-km radius, but it didn't listen."

Locals alleged that politicians are eyeing this property as the chawl is over 100 years old and is in a prime location. "They are making false promises. Once we move out of our homes, where our forefathers have lived, they won't allow us to come back. They will end up selling this prime property to builders," said a resident on condition of anonymity.

"A total of 129 families live here and they need proper redevelopment as they have been here for several decades. We have already approached the high court, seeking time till June as they cannot move because of the pandemic," said Rahebar Khan, a local corporator.

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