[Reader-list] Urgent Appeal- Slum Fire Accident

[clifton at altlawforum.org]

Siddharta Nagara gutted in fire last night

Last night (20th May 2005), Siddharta Nagara, a slum of 118 families in
Peenya Industrial Estate 3rd Stage, Ward No. 24, Dasarahalli CMC, was
gutted entirely by a fire. The slum is atleast 15 years old with the
families having moved here from Yadgiri taluka in Gulbarga district. They
are all employed in the construction industry and have been the ones who
have constructed most of the buildings in the Peenya Industrial Estate.
Most of the residents in the slum are dalits while some belong to most
backward castes.

The slum was gutted by two separate incidents of fire. One began at around
7.00 p.m. last night which gutted an entire row of slums before the fire
department could control the fire. Even the police came to the slum later
that night and recorded the statements of the slum residents. Again, the
early hours of the morning, at around 3.30 a.m., there was another fire
that destroyed every remaining house in the slum before the fire department
could control the fire. The fire has not only destroyed every single house
but with it all the possessions of the people. 

As of this afternoon (21st May 2005), the people are on the streets. The
officials from the revenue department, slum board and CMC officials have
visited the slum though there have been no promises made. The revenue
department has also undertaken a survey of the gutted houses. As of now
people have no food to eat and also no way of cooking any food since their
vessels, stoves, etc. have all been destroyed. The Dasarahalli CMC has
supplied water today to the slum residents through a water tanker and a
nearby industry has promised to provide food for today. 

As of now there seems to be strong reasons to believe that land grabbers
are the ones who are behind the fire. The slum is situated on gomala land
(government land) but there are vested interests that are keen on grabbing
the land. Added to this the slum is situated on prime land right in the
middle on the industrial estate. A police complaint has been filed with the
local police station in this regard.

The requirements of this community for now are:
1.	Temporary shelter – shamianas
2.	Vessel sets for each family – stove, two cooking vessels, plates,
tumblers, buckets
3.	Mats
4.	Bedsheets
5.	Clothes for men, women and children (boys and girls)
6.	Food materials – rice, dhal, jowar, masalas, etc.
7.	Milk powder for infants

We appeal to you, on behalf of Jan Sahyog, Slum Jagathu, Samatha Sainik Dal
and ALF, to contribute towards the above.

In solidarity,
Selva and Clifton 

  


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