Shriya Sharma, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: Despite flagship missions such the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) or the Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana being in place to provide pucca houses to eligible urban households, the promise of a dignified abode remains elusive for many in Faridabad.
The district in Haryana epitomizes the intricate dynamics of urbanization, population growth as well as socio-economic disparities. Despite being the most densely populated city in the state, it grapples with the highest concentration of slum dwellers within its borders.
As per a 2022 study by the Scholars Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, an international journal, Faridabad’s landscape is dotted with 64 sprawling slum areas, including AC Nagar, Sanjay Colony, Mujeswar and Azad Nagar to name a few.
A staggering 46% of the district’s populace, suggests the 2001 census, finds shelter within the confines of these makeshift settlements.
These unauthorized enclaves, entwining themselves with the city’s main roads, highways and railway tracks stand as monuments to decades of unplanned growth and socio-economic neglect.
Dreams of a home
“I submitted required documents a few years ago but have not received any response so far,” reveals Anagshree, a 63-year-old resident, who has endured two decades of hardship.
Her sentiments echo the disillusionment felt by many others who have been failed by the bureaucratic machinery tasked with delivering on these promises.
“We stood in the crowd all night with our documents, but nothing happened,” she further adds.
Sharing the same disappointment, Mahendra Sharma, the president of the Resident Welfare Association of the area, blamed the Faridabad Municipal Corporation (FMC)’s administration for its alleged careless attitude towards its work.
“The last time when forms were circulated in the city for applying for a pucca house under the scheme was five years ago, but the struggle for a home remains,” he says.
The last year’s invitation for applications under the chief minister’s scheme, which is ostensibly aimed at addressing the housing needs of economically weaker families, has done little to assuage the skepticism of the city’s residents.
“We know about the scheme but have not received any benefits,” remarks Laxmi Singh, 43, a mother of three, with her tone tinged with resignation.
Commenting on the failure of PMAY in providing adequate housing facilities to the poor, FMC City Project Officer Dwarka Prasad, who is also monitoring the enactment of the scheme in Faridabad, says, “We cannot take any action before the next election. All the development work has been halted till then.”
He further adds that “there have been no instructions from the main authorities”.
In light of the Union Cabinet’s decision to extend the implementation period of PMAY-Urban until December 31, 2024, the slum dwellers offer a sobering reflection on the prospects of meaningful change.
“When we could not get a house built in the last nine years, what difference will one year make?” they muse.
Uncertain future
The settlement nestled beneath the Badkhal highway has been a makeshift refuge for nearly a hundred families for over two decades. After a devastating fire ravaged the area in 2019 leaving its inhabitants dispossessed and vulnerable, the spectre of demolition looms large, casting a pall of uncertainty over their future.
“Every time we have to change our shanty because the municipal authorities come and demolish them,” laments Sanju, a 46-year-old widow who has called this place home for a decade, with her voice trembling with apprehension.
Addressing her fear, she further adds, “The news just came that they will start building the road again. It means they will probably demolish our homes again.”
With no support for basic facilities like drinking water and electricity, people of the area continue to live a life of challenges and unfulfilled dreams. “My entire life has passed in Faridabad without a home,” says Premvati Singh, 56, who has been living here for the past 15 years.
Ramni Prabhakar, former general secretary of the Manufacturers Association of Faridabad, had poignantly called Faridabad as the “Dharavi of North India” in a 2008 interview with The Times of India, drawing a parallel to Mumbai’s iconic slum district.
“Slums in Faridabad are an acute problem due to the high magnitude and quantum of slum dwellers living in the city,” says Dr Gaurav Antil, deputy joint commissioner of the civic body.
Abstaining from voting?
With Haryana poised to go to Assembly polls after the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the residents of Badhkal constituency find themselves at a crossroads.
Disillusioned by years of political rhetoric and unfulfilled promises, Dharampal, 47, a father of six, reflects on the futility of casting his vote. With his voice tinged with bitterness, he asserts, “There is no point in voting.”
His sentiment finds resonance with Meeta, 45. “What is the use of voting when government schemes do not not reach us?” she asks.
“The poor are being pushed onto the sidewalks, while the rich travel the world,” she says after failing to register a home for herself under the PM’s scheme.
“No one comes to see the poor people,” remarks Dharampal, with his words heavy with the weight of neglect.
Meeta interjects solemnly. “But they are first to come to ask for our votes. Whoever we vote for comes and helps us get a voter ID card.”
These observations encapsulate the paradox of political engagement in marginalized communities, where the presence of leaders is fleeting, yet their pursuit of votes is relentless.