Squatters occupy key plots in Sec 40

Illegal slums in the Millennium City have become a nuisance for the residents. Almost every sector developed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) has been encroached upon by shanties.

Illegal slums in the Millennium City have become a nuisance for the residents. Almost every sector developed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) has been encroached upon by shanties.

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The slum dwellers first occupy vacant Huda plots in a residential area and then start creating problems for people living in housing societies. According to official figures, there are about 50,000 jhuggis that have illegally occupied over 20 per cent of vacant plots across the city.

For instance, the residents of Sector 40 have been living with lack of sanitation and a slum cluster for the past several years. They claim that the area is no less than a hell when it comes to safety and cleanliness.

As slum dwellers have no place to answer the call of nature and wash their clothes, all the daily works are done in the open causing inconvenience to the residents of the areas. "These slum people defecate in the open. Even our children do not find a place for playing as the parks and all vacant plots have turned into slums," said Pandalai, an elderly woman and member of Sector 40 RWA.

The residents claim that they have raised the issue of illegal jhuggis with Huda officials several times, but no action has been taken.

The presence of slums near colonies also poses a problem of security for the colonies. Criminals find heaven in the slums and are a constant source of worry for the residents.

"These people misbehave with the residents. They make the area unhealthy for living. My son had to suffer from chicken pox because of the unhygienic condition in my neighbourhood," said Surbhi Kuthiala, a resident.

According to residents, there are over 1,000 slum dwellings in Sector 40. They claim that the Huda's estate office (EO) does not take measures to remove even a single slum.

The story is similar in other sectors as well. "Slum people in my sector often create troubles after drinking at nights," said Umesh Yadav, a resident of Sector 43.

"It has become difficult to leave our children alone at night because of the bad behaviour of slum dwellers," said Reema Thapa, a Sector 25 resident.

Dharam Sagar, president of Federation of Resident Welfare Associations, said "The slum dwellers stay in vacant land owned by Huda as well as private parties. But the authority does not take necessary steps to rehabilitate them."

Huda officials say they will look into the complaints and take steps to resolve them. "I have directed my staff to inspect the sectors and report me in a week," said a senior Huda official.

Resident welfare associations of various sectors have written several letters to Huda administrator Praveen Kumar but failed to move him for needful action.