village in mumbai without power, water
A village sans electricity, water, health or education
MUMBAI, June 3/2001:
In the new millennium, Dharavli is a throwback to the dark middle ages — a village without power, water supply, health and educational infrastructure, located not far from the glamourous world of tinsel town.
Barely 50 km from the country’s commercial hub, Dharavli is a glaring anachronism. In a state which has a surplus of power, Dharavli remains plunged in darkness surviving with kerosene lanterns.
Things have never changed for its people in more than 53 years since independence. You can blame it on the apathy of the political establishment or bureaucratic red tape, residents told a visiting UNI correspondent. "It’s as if we don’t exist, they said.
Located on the Madh-Marve road, near Ins Hamla, Navy’s training establishment in north Mumbai, this village which falls under the limits of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the biggest civic body in Asia, still lacks road connectivity from the mainland, besides telephone facilities, electricity, water supply, school, primary health centre, police station, post office or even a ration shop.
Umpteen memoranda by its predominantly Adivasi and Koli Samaj (fisherfolk) gather dust in various offices, and the pleas of the people have fallen on deaf ears.
"What is the use of making any representation. None is there to help us. You please help us out," says Rashmi Dharavalikar at a fisherfolk enclave in the village spread over 590 acre and has about 80 clusters of dwellings on the eastern side of the Madh-Marve creek.
Her husband, the ‘Mukhiya’ (headman) of the village, died a few years ago. "There was no hospital or health centre to take care of him," she recalls tearfully.
Even litigation by the locals had not helped them. The bmc, though admitting that there is no road connectivity, has not made any efforts to lay roads.
Says Kamalakar Malavankar, "we have been staying here for four generations. We are the original residents of Mumbai. Slumdwellers living in unauthorised structures in the city have got water and electricity supply, while we are still deprived of it."
"Leaders come during the elections — but nothing happens later on — we continue to suffer," he said. "Even to exercise our franchise, we have to go to the nearby Erangal village to cast our votes," he adds.
According to a social worker, "Dharavli is not a vote bank and hence it is like this. Why only the municipality, other Government agencies too are guilty of apathy towards the peoples plight.
The village is bounded on the south, north and west by mainland. However, during monsoon and full and new moon days when the tide comes, the mainland gets water-logged and the village is cut off from the rest of the city.
Narrating her tale of woe, Rashmi says: "We are not beneficiary to any Government development plans. For every small thing we have to walk kilometres ."
Womenfolk have to walk more than two km to fetch water every day as the only source of water, a well, dries up by February. "The water gets contaminated and we all fall ill. There is no doctor to help us here," Rashmi says.
To compound their woes, the quota of kerosene has been reduced now which is a big blow to the villagers as they use it for both cooking and lighting lanterns.
Many of the villagers, including children, hae died of snake bites. "For namesake we are staying in Mumbai. Why is it so?," she asks in frustration and despair. "Protests and memoranda do not work at all," she laments.
The nearest telephone booth is two km away. Shopowner Sandip Patil, who has installed the telephone, says: "They live in very bad condition. The Government must do something for us."
The postman drops letters at Patil’s shop and people collect their mail from him.
The nearest school is four km away. Illiteracy has bred unemployment. The menfolk depend on daily wages from fishing trawler owners to eke out their livelihood. (UNI)
MUMBAI, June 3/2001:
In the new millennium, Dharavli is a throwback to the dark middle ages — a village without power, water supply, health and educational infrastructure, located not far from the glamourous world of tinsel town.
Barely 50 km from the country’s commercial hub, Dharavli is a glaring anachronism. In a state which has a surplus of power, Dharavli remains plunged in darkness surviving with kerosene lanterns.
Things have never changed for its people in more than 53 years since independence. You can blame it on the apathy of the political establishment or bureaucratic red tape, residents told a visiting UNI correspondent. "It’s as if we don’t exist, they said.
Located on the Madh-Marve road, near Ins Hamla, Navy’s training establishment in north Mumbai, this village which falls under the limits of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the biggest civic body in Asia, still lacks road connectivity from the mainland, besides telephone facilities, electricity, water supply, school, primary health centre, police station, post office or even a ration shop.
Umpteen memoranda by its predominantly Adivasi and Koli Samaj (fisherfolk) gather dust in various offices, and the pleas of the people have fallen on deaf ears.
"What is the use of making any representation. None is there to help us. You please help us out," says Rashmi Dharavalikar at a fisherfolk enclave in the village spread over 590 acre and has about 80 clusters of dwellings on the eastern side of the Madh-Marve creek.
Her husband, the ‘Mukhiya’ (headman) of the village, died a few years ago. "There was no hospital or health centre to take care of him," she recalls tearfully.
Even litigation by the locals had not helped them. The bmc, though admitting that there is no road connectivity, has not made any efforts to lay roads.
Says Kamalakar Malavankar, "we have been staying here for four generations. We are the original residents of Mumbai. Slumdwellers living in unauthorised structures in the city have got water and electricity supply, while we are still deprived of it."
"Leaders come during the elections — but nothing happens later on — we continue to suffer," he said. "Even to exercise our franchise, we have to go to the nearby Erangal village to cast our votes," he adds.
According to a social worker, "Dharavli is not a vote bank and hence it is like this. Why only the municipality, other Government agencies too are guilty of apathy towards the peoples plight.
The village is bounded on the south, north and west by mainland. However, during monsoon and full and new moon days when the tide comes, the mainland gets water-logged and the village is cut off from the rest of the city.
Narrating her tale of woe, Rashmi says: "We are not beneficiary to any Government development plans. For every small thing we have to walk kilometres ."
Womenfolk have to walk more than two km to fetch water every day as the only source of water, a well, dries up by February. "The water gets contaminated and we all fall ill. There is no doctor to help us here," Rashmi says.
To compound their woes, the quota of kerosene has been reduced now which is a big blow to the villagers as they use it for both cooking and lighting lanterns.
Many of the villagers, including children, hae died of snake bites. "For namesake we are staying in Mumbai. Why is it so?," she asks in frustration and despair. "Protests and memoranda do not work at all," she laments.
The nearest telephone booth is two km away. Shopowner Sandip Patil, who has installed the telephone, says: "They live in very bad condition. The Government must do something for us."
The postman drops letters at Patil’s shop and people collect their mail from him.
The nearest school is four km away. Illiteracy has bred unemployment. The menfolk depend on daily wages from fishing trawler owners to eke out their livelihood. (UNI)
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