Bhopal: ₹1 Lakh For Rehabilitation 'Highly Inadequate', Say Displaced Families As Bhadbhada Basti Demolition Drive Enters Day 2

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Families who have been displaced from the Bhadbhada Basti are moving around the state capital with their household items, searching for rented accommodations in areas like Barkhedi, Banganga slums, Chandbad and other slum pockets. Although they have been provided with a Rs 1 lakh cheque as compensation, the affected families find this amount highly inadequate for their rehabilitation needs.

On the second day of the five-day demolition drive at Bhadbhada Basti (in front of Hotel Taj ) 110 houses were dismantled on Thursday amid heavy police presence. SDM TT Nagar Manauwer Khan confirmed that by Thursday evening, 110 houses were demolished and on Friday 150 structures, all declared illegal by the National Green Tribunal, will be razed.

Road to Hotel Taj, was barricaded with heavy police force being deployed. No outsider was allowed to visit the locality even to assist their relatives whose houses were razed.

Corporation and district administration demolished 30 houses out of 386 illegally constructed structures in Bhadbhada Basti on Wednesday. BMC vehicles shifted the household items of the displaced people.

Nazmul Huda (Bhopal), who arranged a rented house in Banganga slum, said, “A cheque of Rs 1 lakh has been given, but it is not sufficient for rehabilitation. There is no arrangement for the rehabilitation of families being removed from the Bhadbhada dam site. It is both festival and examination time, and the government has displaced us. It is very difficult to search for a rented house at this stage.”

Yashmin (Raisen) said, “I came here with my family members Sheru, Nisha, and Aman from Raisen to help our relatives whose house was dismantled. My mother-in-law, Noor Jahan (95), is helpless, but we are not allowed to go to the site where houses are being dismantled. We are waiting at the mosque. Similarly, other families are also waiting in the bus terminus shed.”

Rafiq (Bhopal) said, “At least family members or relatives of affected families should be allowed inside. Household items are being taken out from the house. Ladies are alone there, and we are helplessly waiting here outside. We cannot help them in shifting the household goods.”

Site: Bhadbhada Basti

Illegal structures 386

Day 1: 30 houses demolished

Day 2 : 110 illegal structure razed