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Belongings, livelihoods lost, shanty residents stare at uncertain future
Gurugram: With their belongings lost, ID documents burnt and source of livelihood gone for those with shops facing the main road, hundreds of shanty residents are staring at an uncertain future after the Saturday morning fire
Gurugram: With their belongings lost, ID documents burnt and source of livelihood gone for those with shops facing the main road, hundreds of shanty residents are staring at an uncertain future after the Saturday morning fire.
Among those who lost not only their homes but also their source of income was Pawan Kumar, who had purchased 15 coolers on Thursday that he intended to sell from his shop this summer. Both his shop and the coolers stored inside it were gutted on Saturday.
“I purchased the coolers just two days ago. I had to take a ₹1 lakh loan from the bank to buy these, but it was all for nothing. Both my shop and house are now completely gutted. I don’t know how I will repay the loan. My only source of income is gone and so is the roof over my head. I am left with nothing,” said Kumar.
Noor, a differently abled resident, also lost his shop - a general store - and his house in the blaze.
“My life has been a struggle right from birth. Despite my limitations, I had just started supporting myself with the help of this shop, and for the first time, there was hope for a better future. Now that too is gone, along with my belongings. My life has never been so uncertain and hopeless,” said Noor.
Several residents said that they left their shanties in the initial moments after the blaze only as a precautionary measure since the fire was initially limited to one section. However, with the fire spreading quickly, they lost all their belongings.
“My wife, two children and I were all asleep when the fire broke out. We woke up due to the commotion outside. The fire was far away from our shanty and we left it as a precautionary measure. At that moment, we only picked up whatever was in front of us and left immediately,” said Amit, who works in a shoe shop.
He said that the blaze grew after LPG cylinders inside the shanties started bursting. “Within minutes, the fire grew tremendously. There was nothing we could do except watch our home and belongings burn away. My years of hard work and earnings disappeared in only a few seconds,” said Amit.
On Saturday morning, various residents, NGOs and citizen volunteers gathered at the site of the fire to provide relief and aid.
After speaking to the six contractors who owned the shanties as well as those whose shanties and shops were gutted, they said around 184 structures were gutted in the incident.
“Through various social media platforms, we have asked people for help and donation and have received a lot of support. Food was procured from two gurdwaras and makeshift tents have been prepared for temporarily accommodating the affected,” said Prerit Rana, chief executive officer (CEO), Agrasar, a non-governmental organization (NGO).
Rana said that the NGO and citizen volunteers spoke to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) officials who have agreed to clear the debris from the area and level the ground with earthmovers within the next two days so that residents can once again have a place to stay.
Sarika Panda Bhatt, associate director, Nagarro, who was one of the volunteers providing aid, said that a team of MCG officials, including joint commissioner Hariom Attri, visited the spot and added that the civic body has agreed to clear debris from the area. After the team’s visit, she said the civic body placed portable mobile toilets and drinking water outlets in the area on Saturday evening.
