BBN jhuggi dwellers living in unhygienic conditions

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, July 8

Notwithstanding various moves to rehabilitate jhuggi dwellers in the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN), these hapless inhabitants are forced to reside amidst unhygienic environs.

Lacking regular power and water connection, these people are dependent of diesel-run generator (DG) sets which not only cause pollution but are also risky. A recent fire incident which occurred due to unauthorized use of DG set at Katha village had damaged 60 jhuggis, besides causing loss of human life as a nine-year old child was burnt alive.

A majority of these structures come up on private land where the owners charge a nominal rent to allow these jhuggis. Though a move to change the revenue entries of such land which remained occupied with jhuggis for years was mooted some time back but it failed to materialize. Little has been done by the local administration to curb the use of DG sets as it was not clear which department should act. Executive Engineer, HP State Electricity Board limited, Rakesh Thakur, said curbing DG sets did not fall under their purview and it was the mandate of other departments like Revenue and BBN Development Authority.

Curbing disease in the locality becomes another headache for the officials of the Health Department as with the onset of the rainy season the risk of water-borne disease looms large.

Medical Officer Health Dr NK Gupta said they have already begun distributing pamphlets about the spread of disease and the residents have been advised to take due precautions.

According to a survey undertaken by the local administration there were 101 clusters of jhuggi dwellers in this industrial belt spread across 11 revenue circles of Baddi, Bhud, Sandholi, Manpura, Beli, Lodhi Majra, Bhatolikalan, Barotiwala, Mandhala, Thana and Dhella. More than 15,000 people reside in these jhuggi with a majority of them lacking even the basic facility of toilet and safe drinking water.

Chief Executive Officer, BBN Development Authority, Rajiv Kumar, when quizzed, said low cost housing schemes had been introduced for the area where the private investors could set up dwelling units to rehabilitate these slum dwellers. About 200 such units had already been occupied and efforts were afoot to rope in more such investors to provide hygienic environs to the dwellers. He added that such investors are exempted from various taxes.

The low cost housing scheme, however, has met with limited success .