Seventy poor families, rendered homeless in a fire last year

A life miserable than death, with gutters flowing around them, rain-water accumulating in stagnant pools, flies aplenty and onset of diseases. “Beta main kya karu, ye bimari ne tang kar diya," sobbed 70-year-old Bibi Naaz, who cannot walk to the common toilet due to her fractured foot.

What these people live in are not huts but makeshift `shelters’ with layers of plastic which do not prevent the rain-water from seeping through. “Sleep, forget it. We even don’t know that word. All we do is sit in the driest corner and hold our babies to protect them from the rain and the mosquitoes,” Ameena Shaikh cried uncontrollably. Many of them wondered how long would they have to suffer this fate.

Social-worker Siddique Khan said, “Most of them are vegetable-vendors or autorickshaw-drivers. With some barely managing to earn Rs 50 per day, the money is soon spent in buying medicines to look after their old parents or infants.”

However, their fight is with one Shaikh Mohammed Shafi Ibrahim of Gilanee Constructions, who was given power of attorney by the fire-affected persons to build 135 sq ft one-room tenements for them. The fire-affected persons, including Zakir Shaikh Kadar, Saleem Suleman Khan, Dadmiya Gulam Rasul and others, have alleged that Shafi allegedly sought the vacant land adjoining the ravaged spot from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and even obtained 2.375 FSI for construction purposes by highlighting their plight. The PMC made an exception as a special case on humanitarian grounds. However 17 months later, they are knocking at the doors of the Corporation again, wanting their land back.

Advocates S A Rahman and J A Rahman issued a notice on behalf of the fire-victims to Shafi stating the formers’ incapability to pay the huge amount of Rs 92,500 for the one-room tenements and stated that they were ready to stay as tenants. They have also appealed to the Pune Municipal Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad to look into the matter.

When contacted Shafi Ibrahim denied the charges and said that the plan had been sanctioned by the PMC to build 95 tenements. “I am even giving some widows the tenements free-of-cost, while helping others by giving them Rs 25,000 each,” he said.

However, even as the verbal battle continues between the landlord and the tenants, with bitter accusations levelled against each other, what was being forgotten was the helpless plight of the families staying in deplorable conditions in the most congested part of the city.