Around 100 residents who were protesting for the Right to Life in the area were picked up by the Mumbai police in the morning and taken to Tilak Nagar Police station.
Sewage water leaks into the street in Mahul’s MMRDA Colony. Photo Courtesy: Aniruddha Chowdhury/Mint
Mumbai: Residents of the inhabitable Mahul area in Mumbai were detained by local police in Tilak Nagar on Monday. Around 100 residents who were protesting for the Right to Life in the area were picked up by the Mumbai police in the morning and taken to Tilak Nagar Police station.
More than 100 residents have died due to the inhabitable conditions of the Mahul area. The region has critical levels of industrial pollution. The Bombay HC had given a judgement in the favour of Mahul residents and had declared the conditions unfit for living. The court had ordered the govt to compensate for the faulty resettlement and provide proper rehabilitation which has not been implemented yet.
“While Maharashtra govt has not fulfilled any of their demands till now, it has ordered their arrest and trying to subvert the people’s voices. It is nothing less than the attempt to dismantle the movement fighting for Right to Life. Maharashtra Govt must stop the genocide of Mahul Residents. We appeal to everyone in Mumbai to join the fearless residents of Mahul at Tilak Nagar Police station and extend the solidarity with the movement. Pressurize the government to release the Mahul residents immediately. We appeal to citizens of India to make calls, write emails to the concerned authorities and demand the release of Mahul residents,” said National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), which is spearheading the campaign for the release of Mahul residents.
“Please check Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan Facebook Page for Live Video from Tilak Nagar Police Station: https://www.facebook.com/GBGBandolan/ The Contacts of Senior Police Official of Mumbai is attached. Please see and make calls to them urgently. We are mentioning few here as well. 1. Subodh Kumar Jaiswal – Commissioner Of Police – (Office) 022 – 22620826, 22613552, (Fax) 22621835, (M) 9136032777 – cp.mumbai@mahapolice.gov.in 2. Deven Bharti – Joint Commissioner of Police ( L & O) – (Office) 022 – 22624405, (M) 9870744000, (Fax) 22655010 – cp.mumbai.jtcp.lo@mahapolice.gov.in,” wrote NAPM.
It was reported that BMC has ignored Bombay HC orders and is moving ahead to renovate more 4500 in the area even though it poses a huge threat to life to all residents. Mahul is located in the Trombay area of Mumbai and is often dubbed as the place “where poor are sent to die.”