No basic amenities for 4,500 displaced families

Since 2005, around 4,500 families from various parts of the western suburbs have been rehabilitated in Somanigram at Oshiwara in Goregoan (West) after their houses and shops were razed for road-widening projects.

Since 2005, around 4,500 families from various parts of the western suburbs have been rehabilitated in Somanigram at Oshiwara in Goregoan (West) after their houses and shops were razed for road-widening projects.

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But, till date, these families have been living without basic amenities such as streetlights, proper sanitation system, asphalted internal roads and storm water drainage system.

And the same problem exists at 32 other project-affected people (PAP) colonies in the city, revealed a Right to Information (RTI) query

filed by activist Sulaiman Bhimani.

“Through the RTI, we learned that the agency had outsourced the rehabilitation of 32 PAP colonies to 25 different developers, who were responsible for providing basic infrastructure,” said Bhimani, who runs a shop at Somanigram. “But the developers left their work incomplete, and the responsibility to provide basic infrastructure fell on the MMRDA, which is now trying to pass on the work to the municipal corporation.”

For the last two years, the families rehabilitated at Somanigram have been running pillar to post for basic amenities.

“Ideally, the MMRDA should complete the project and hand it over to the municipal corporation. But, as it is not happening a joint meeting was held between MMRDA and civic officials wherein it was discussed to conduct a joint inspection of the block for incomplete work,” said Bhagyashri Kapse, assistant municipal commissioner of P south ward.

“After the inspection, the BMC would calculate an estimated cost incurred for the infrastructure and send it to the MMRDA, which will provide the funds. Only after the funds arrive will the work start,” Kapse added.

But the MMRDA claims that most of the work at Somanigram is complete.

“The remaining work has been handed over to the BMC. The agency should conduct the survey and inform us about the expenses, which we will scrutinise and then approve,” said an MMRDA official requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to the media.