AMC demolishes hutments to lay a garden

Even as the world celebrates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, human rights of the poor are being continuously put to test in Gujarat.

Even as the world celebrates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, human rights of the poor are being continuously put to test in Gujarat. The case in question is the demolition of nearly 150 hutments a few days ago by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) from the open land under the Chimanbhai Patel Overbridge near the Torrent Power Plant.

The drive has affected about 600 dwellers, as the AMC has plans to construct a garden at the same place.

Dinesh Patel, Deputy Estate Officer, AMC, said: “We had floated a tender for the garden even earlier, but it couldn’t materialise due to encroachments. Now that the space has been cleared, we will start the tender process again.”

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Sunil (12), who works at a nearby garage and lived in one of the hutments, narrated the chain of events. “The officials from AMC and Torrent Power came at 4 in the evening and told us to vacate the place in two days time. They came again at 7 pm and started the demolition. Torrent even paid Rs 2,000 to all those who voluntarily vacated the hutments.”

When asked about the role of Torrent Power in the demolition drive as alleged by the dwellers, Patel said: “The demolition was carried out by AMC and Torrent Power has nothing to do with it. Torrent is only helping us because of the proximity of the power plant to the site.” He added that AMC had been sending notices to the dwellers for the last six months, but to no avail.

Elsewhere, the Bandhkam Mazdoor Sangathan (BMS), a construction labour union that has been running a Balwadi for the children in the area, has contradicted this claim. Vipul Pandya of BMS, said: “The majority of these hutment dwellers are migrant adivasi construction labourers, who were earlier shifted from the Sabarmati Railway Hospital area to this place. There has been no notice from the AMC regarding evacuation from the land.”

BMS has further alleged that the role of Torrent Power in the entire episode is very suspicious. “How can the AMC explain the presence of about 25 private security personnel of Torrent Power who are continuously guarding the site?” said Pandya.