Mumbai: BMC Demolishes Grieving Family’s Home After Children’s Tragic Deaths In Wadala Park

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come under fire for its demolition of a family's tenement, plunging them into homelessness merely a day after the Bombay High Court intervened in a case surrounding the tragic deaths of two young children. The heart-wrenching incident unfolded in Wadala's Maharashi Karve garden, where four-year-old Ankush and five-year-old Arjun Waghri lost their lives after falling into an underground water tank.

Until Tuesday morning, makeshift shelters constructed from corrugated sheets, bamboo, and tarpaulin lined the footpath on both sides of the Wadala bridge. Among these structures, the Wagaris resided in one. Subsequently, the municipal corporation commenced the demolition of these shelters along the stretch, completing the process by Friday evening.

The aftermath of the children's untimely demise saw the BMC's swift action in dismantling the family's shelter, leaving grieving parents, Manoj Waghri and his wife, defenceless against the scorching summer heat and the perilous rush of speeding vehicles. "My children will not come back. But now, they have broken down our houses too," expressed a distraught Manoj Waghri, father of Ankush and Arjun.

Manoj said,"They had never tried to demolish these huts before my sons died. We have been staying here for two decades. We don't know why they have razed them all of a sudden. Even after 20 days, I am clueless about the case's status. Now the BMC has demolished the place in which I resided. Nothing is left; only my children's photos are left behind as a reminder of their tragic end. The BMC has offered no compensation to us and we are homeless and helpless."

Following the discovery of the children's bodies on March 18, the Bombay High Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and criticized the BMC for its failure to cover the water tank. Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the BMC initiated the demolition of the hutments at Subhash Nagar on April 3.

Locals report that Subhash Nagar accommodated around 50 huts where residents had lived for over two decades. They allege that the BMC seized their belongings without offering alternative accommodation.

A resident of Subhash Nagar expressed, "This road has been our home for about 20 years, but our houses were demolished suddenly. We are uncertain whether our belongings were taken by the BMC or scattered. We have nowhere to seek shelter from the scorching sun."

In light of increasing criticism, Chakrapani Alle, the F North ward officer, responded by stating,"There is no direct correlation between the two events. BMC's demolition of the houses wasn't aimed at the Wagari family; we've been addressing these structures since 2008. Our actions were routine: we relocated eligible residents in 2008, providing housing to 11 families from the slum, and rehabilitating 61 people in 2016 after checking their eligibility. The recent demolition, prompted by complaints from the Wadala Citizen Forum and police, was part of our standard procedure."

Despite promises from Kalidas Kolambkar, the local MLA of Naigaon (Vidhan Sabha constituency), regarding compensation, the family had yet to receive any support.

Speaking to FPJ, MLA Kalidas Kolambkar stated, "I have urged the BMC to halt their actions immediately. Given the age of the houses, we are planning to relocate the residents there based on eligibility criteria. Additionally, we are working on providing financial assistance to the Wagari family through the BMC once the Code of Conduct is over. I have liaised with the ward officer, and there will be no further action on the houses. Instead, we will relocate the family and provide them with a new home."

The Waghri family has to wait until the Lok Sabha election is over, as the MLA assured help after the code of conduct is over. In the midst of a heatwave-like summer, the family now faces the daunting task of finding shelter on their own, given that the BMC dismantled their homes within a mere 18 days of their sons' tragic demise.