Slum transformed by unique project

VADODARA, June 13: If seeing is believing, the transformation in the lives of the 1,000-odd families at the Ramdevinagar slum in the Gotr...

VADODARA, June 13: If seeing is believing, the transformation in the lives of the 1,000-odd families at the Ramdevinagar slum in the Gotri area here is complete. And that it was possible only because the slum-dwellers willed this change, was the bottomline at the function organised by Baroda Citizens8217; Council BCC on Sunday to formally hand over the movement to them.

Mayor Bharatiben Vyas dedicated the project to the people of Ramdevnagar in which Arun C Mudgerikar, UNICEF project officer Gujarat and BCC chief Atul Patel were the special guests.

Vyas congratulated the BCC and the international funding agency for their three-year long about Rs 60-lakh project, because of which the quality of life of the slum dwellers improved tremendously.

Three years ago, there was nothing except misery for about 4,000 people living here: no roads, no drainage, no taps. Filth, garbage, diseases and jungle-law ruled the roost in Ramdevnagar since its birth about two decades ago. 8220;Might is right8221; was the order of the day for people to construct their slum quarters, fetch the water from a couple of public taps, and encroach upon what were called lanes. Then BCC and UNICEF came to change the system, recall residents.

During the past three years, the BCC united the residents, taught them about hygiene and launched a cooperative movement to generate funds to construct roads and underground sewage lines. With help from UNICEF and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, things began to change. According to Mudgerikar, it was the only movement of its kind worldwide; he has already been asked by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh to introduce the same in a Bhopal area, he says.

8220;Even the Gujarat chief minister has lauded the movement of the people of Ramdevnagar, and therefore the slum residents deserve kudos more than anyone else8221;, he told Express Newsline. Residents including Raoji Kateja, Hira Solanki, Chhagarn Chavda, Shailesh Kaichla, Nilesh Damor and Prashant too agreed in unison that it was truly a people8217;s movement.

They say that Ramdevnagar was worse than hell until three years when they heard for the first time about collective gestures to construct roads, set electricity lines right, dig sewerage lines and help each other live in peace. 8220;There was a little resistance earlier as all of us had to contribute a little for the civic amenities8221;, recalls Kateja, and adds that with a exceptions, everybody joined hands and hence the improvement for all and sundry.