Mumbai: No homes for BMC staff, many workers stay in slums

Mumbai: Many Brihan Mumbai Corporation (BMC) workers, who have the task of demolishing illegal homes, have themselves been living in shanties. Khar, one of Mumbai's most posh suburbs along the western line is also home to Mumbai's terrace slums. Shanties have been built atop concrete structures. Ironically, the shanties have been built for the staff of the BMC, the civic body that is also responsible for demolishing illegal structures.

In the 1960s, Hasanabad Municipal Colony was built for the BMC conservancy staff. Now the colony has eight buildings with 250 rooms. On an average, each room houses at least two families.

Lack of accommodation forced the BMC staff to build shanties in and around the colony. For 40 years now, the BMC staff has lived there. The civic body has clearly ignored the plight of its own staff.

Lack of accommodation forced the BMC staff to build shanties in and around the colony built for them.

Shailendra Pawar, Municipal Colony committee member, said, "They have in the past promised us to allot additional houses, but they haven't done that so far." Congress worker Bharat Bafna alleged, "There is a nexus between developers and the standing committee which is run by teh Shiv Sena-BJP alliance as this is a prime plot."

Several promises have been made to the BMC staff residing in the colony. So much so that a proposal to construct 27,000 houses was floated four years ago but that is in cold storage now. Lack of concrete action by the civic body has resulted in this new concept of terrace slum in the city.

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