Residents of demolished slum in Powai plagued by diseases

Homeless residents of Jai Bhim Nagar face severe health issues post-demolition, with diseases like scabies and pneumonia due to inadequate sanitation

MUMBAI: The homeless residents of Jai Bhim Nagar, a slum settlement in Powai which was demolished by the BMC in June, have been exposed not just to the elements but also parasites and worms which have led to scabies, dermatitis, urinary tract infections, diarrhoea, typhoid and pneumonia among other diseases. A medical camp set up in November by a student-run educational organisation, Sabki Library, along with volunteer doctors from private and government organisations brought the grim health conditions to light.

Mumbai, India. Oct 11, 2024: Residents of Jai Bheem Nagar have been living on the footpath at Powai for the last five months without light and water after the civic body demolished their houses. Oct 11, 2024. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

Shrimati Chouhan, 51, who has been living on the footpath along with many other residents, said she had developed a red rash on her neck and thighs caused by the BMC tanker water. “There is a constant itching,” she said. “I use the ointment the civic hospital gave me. It soothes the skin for a while, only to worsen later.” Similar rashes have been observed in the whole community.

Jai Bhim Nagar had 600-plus residents. Some moved elsewhere but many have nowhere to go and are parked on the footpath of the 90-feet Central Avenue Road with meagre sanitation and hygiene facilities.

Dr Abhijit Khandkar, an MD pathologist who volunteered at the medical camp said, “We saw cases of dermatitis, symptoms of UTI, fungal infections, dengue, malaria, common cold and a high risk for tuberculosis.” Basic medication like antifungal creams, deworming tablets and anti-inflammatory ointments were given to about 250 people at the camp according to their symptoms. “Several were advised to run tests and follow up on the treatment to stop the symptoms from becoming more severe,” he said. “But they cannot afford it, and we don’t have enough resources.”

The slum dwellers are provided with one tanker of water on a daily basis, and have access to two mobile toilets placed on either end of the footpath. “Each family gets only two buckets of water, which is contaminated at times. The toilets too are rarely cleaned,” said Huma Namal, the author of ‘Cost of Protest’, a report published by Sabki Library.

“The toilet water is flushed down the drainage under the footpath where we stay,” said Leela Jadhav, 41, an ex-resident of Jai Bhim Nagar. In the meanwhile, the residents source water from the IIT market and Powai plaza located nearby.

Thirty-seven-year-old Yuvraj Bhalekar, a father of two children, died of pneumonia on December 21. Santosh Yadav, 20, another slum dweller, was diagnosed with typhoid a month ago. “I could not afford admission to a hospital,” he said. “I got treated by my family doctor, who administered a saline bottle daily for a few days and sent me home.” This basic treatment cost ₹10,000, an expense that his mother, who works as a domestic help in four houses to look after her family of four, could scarcely afford. “Over the course of five months, there have been several severe cases of typhoid,” added Namal.

On the other side of Central Avenue Road, there is more vegetation with snakes moving around and a garbage dump just behind the settlement. The children have mosquito bites all over their faces and are at high risk of contracting dengue and malaria.