Mumbai makeover: Record 6,000 shanties flattened in a day, next in line, illegal ‘well-off’

As far as eye can see, there are mounds of wood, tin and tarpaulin, the remains of 6,200 illegal homes, flattened by a heavy excavator runni...

As far as eye can see, there are mounds of wood, tin and tarpaulin, the remains of 6,200 illegal homes, flattened by a heavy excavator running on tank-like tracks and giant motorised claws.

‘‘Such a demolition has never happened before in the state,’’ said Deputy Municipal Commissioner V M Kalam Patil, surveying the end of the sprawling slum of Malvani in the western suburb of Malad.

As stunned families of painters, taxi drivers, vegetable vendors and others from Mumbai’s blue-collar workforce watched after a day of anger and hurling stones, Patil explained that 39,000 shanties (target: 44,000 slums, all built after the cut-off date of 1995) were now flattened since the city’s biggest ever demolition drive began 18 days ago.

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Across town at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)—after instructions from Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil— officers were hastily preparing to balance the demolitions by planning action against illegal constructions by builders and shopkeepers.

‘‘In a week, we will have the list of all illegal constructions throughout the city,’’ Municipal Commissioner Johny Joseph told The Indian Express.

	Rehabilitation: The Long Haul Ahead

			• 9 million people • 18 lakh shanties • After 1995—the cut-off dates for legalising shanties—there was a 25 per cent jump in slums, which means 4.5 lakh shanties are illegal • Headcount of 5 people to a shanty means 2.2 million will be on the streets once demolitions are over Clearly, if the state chooses rehab, it will be a staggering task Illegal slums must not be allowed, but proper rehabilitation has to be done. Other cities have slums, but it is a disturbing fact in Mumbai that 62 er cent of the population lives in slums.’’ Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna

This is part of an emerging grand plan—being tweaked as it unfolds—to revamp one of India’s richest but shabbiest cities.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told The Indian Express last week that citizens would see a change within six months. ‘‘Every chief minister likes to be remembered, and I’m no exception,’’ said Deshmukh who despite having an empty exchequer also announced that Rs 31,000 crore will be spent on new roads, sea links and rail lines.

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Though Mumbai’s Congress MLAs are livid—they hold 15 of 34 seats—that the election manifesto of legalising slums built upto 2000 is being discarded, Deshmukh is getting strong backing from his Nationalist Congress Party deputy Patil.

Governor S M Krishna, who led Bangalore’s urban renewal between 1999 and 2004, is getting involved too, getting experts from there to talk to Deshmukh and warning him today of the political perils of demolition without rehabilitation.

Demolitions against rich defaulters, however, won’t be as easy. Joseph acknowledged that in many cases, action can be taken only after serving notice.

‘‘Structures where the time-limit after serving notices is over will be demolished immediately,’’ said Joseph. ‘‘Also there are many cases pending before the courts. We will vacate the stays and once the list is ready, we will decide our strategy.’’