By Vanya Mehta, TwoCircles.net
Rows of newly-constructed four-story buildings stand in stark contrast to the slums around it in Aherkheri area of Indore. One would think that slums are there to serve the people who live in these buildings, but these structures were built for the slum-dwellers themselves. An initiative of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) these buildings were constructed in late 2012 in one of several slum relocation projects throughout the city.
Around 50 to 60 men, women, and their children, who have lived in this area for 13 years, and are in the business of carving stones to make bowls for crushing spices, do not find the IMC buildings suitable.
According to Pravin Gupta, In-Charge Assistant Engineer of the Aherkheri slum relocation project, which was done in conjunction with PM Manmohan Singh’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, there have been 1,144 flats built and about 771 are occupied. There are some applications for rental still in the approval process. Mr. Gupta said that the process can take anywhere between six months and one year.
Leela Bai earns 250 rupees for each stone bowl she makes in eight days. She and her sister, Sita Bai, refuse to move out of the slum because she believes the floors of the building will damage or break if they work inside.
When asked why she does not work on the ground but still live in the apartments, she said, “How will we carry the stones up the stairs every day into these multistories?”
The larger problem for these labourers is lack of building security. Since they cannot store their livestock or stone materials in one space, they do not want to move into the new apartments.
Leila Bai’s husband demonstrating the work he does every day.
“We are ready to give the government money, we don’t want to live for free, but we need a proper place where we can park our bikes and cycles. Here, there is no watchman, so someone can steal our things. There is no safety,” said Ashok Nirgude, a labourer and community advocate originally from Pipliyapala.
Each room in the IMC building costs around 120,000 rupees, while a certain percentage subsidy is given and bank loans are also available to help with the purchase.
A view of the slums which the multistories still overlook.
Another woman nearby added that the buildings are not safe and therefore she does not want to move. “Most of the days there are fights in these multis, somebody will be smoking ganja, or drinking alcohol, and we are too afraid so we would rather stay safe in these slums,” she said.
So these buildings remain standing today half-empty as another example of government schemes that are designed in air-conditioned offices far removed from reality and without any input from intended beneficiaries.