BENGALURU: It’s been nearly four months since residents of Waseem Layout and Fakeer Colony in Kogilu of North Bengaluru were evicted and their houses demolished for residing on encroached government land. But with no government support for rehabilitation, most of the evictees continue to stay in makeshift tents in the rubble of their former houses, facing extreme heat and dust during the days and mosquitoes at nights apart from no access to clean water.
Many of the slum dwellers have developed fever, diarrhea and other stomach related ailments and constantly fear outbreak of epidemics.
According to Dudiyo Janara Vedike, a community-based organisation, over 70 of the evictees are genuine cases, eligible for houses under government welfare programmes. “Over 160 houses of the poor were unconstitutionally razed by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) on December 20 last year. As many had been living here for many years, they refuse to move to temporary rehabilitation centres set up by the GBA. They fear that if they move out, they will not be able to come back,” said Pooja HM from the NGO.
Pooja noted that due to the recent harsh weather, many have fallen sick. People have been complaining that are suffering from viral fever, severe dehydration due to stomach ailments and head and body ache. She appealed to the civic body to conduct health check-ups and set up a health camp, or there could be outbreak of an epidemic.
Sheik Kadar Basha, a community leader at Fakeer Colony, claimed that he has been staying at the slum for the last 25 years. He said the government received flak for the demolition of their houses, but when it took a political colour, things turned for the worse for the slum dwellers.
“BJP leaders claimed that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants had been staying here. This put pressure on the government and the chance to accommodate the poor with government housing was lost,” said Basha.
A BSWML official clarified that as the matter is before the court, the government is unable to give any relief to the slum dwellers. “A person has filed a PIL seeking relief for slum dwellers and at least 15 evictees have filed a writ petition seeking grant of land there as they claimed to have been staying there for many years. Only after the verdict, a decision can be taken,” the official explained.
Meanwhile, around 30 applicants from Bagaluru, Hegade Nagar, Kogilu Cross and Yelahanka received temporary title deeds under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Corporation Ltd. “We have asked the Waseem Layout and Fakeer Colony dwellers to also apply and seek 400 sqft flat at Baiyappanahalli near Chagletti, Hennur,” the official added.