New Delhi: Thousands of families are still waiting at Anand Parbat, 12 years after being moved out of Kathputli Colony with the promise they would be given permanent homes.
The history of Kathputli Colony goes back to 1959, when tribal communities from villages in Rajasthan began settling on vacant land near what is now Shadipur depot. For Pappu, who lives in a 10×10-foot transit unit with a family of 16, including his three sons, their wives and grandchildren, the prolonged wait has become a symbol of their poverty. Another office-bearer at the developer’s office in the transit camp said, “The maintenance and services provided by the developer include cleaning around 900 toilets, operating a 50,000-litre RO system, garbage collection, road sweeping, electrical and plumbing repairs, maintenance of the transit units and sewage treatment plant.
Patasi, president of the RWA of the transit camp and one of its first occupants, said several politicians and officials visited the residents and the construction site over the years, but the promised flats remained elusive. We have had to divide the small space with curtains,” he said. Residents said a DDA engineer met them in July and assured them that outstanding issues had been resolved and the project would move ahead.
These people, many of whom traditionally worked as puppeteers, magicians, kalandars and acrobats and largely belonged to the Bhat community of Rajasthan, have since spent years waiting for rehabilitation. Later, street performers from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra joined them. Since their professions required frequent travel and access to public transport, they began seeking permanent housing in the late 1960s. Meanwhile, the transit camp has deteriorated. Residents complain of leaking roofs, damaged flooring, leaking water pipes and poorly maintained toilets. They say the temporary structures, designed to last only two years, were never meant to become their homes for over a decade. “If we had money, why would we live in such circumstances? Our poverty has been mocked by everyone. DDA only provides the water supply. The maintenance bill, she claimed, has now run into crores of rupees.
“Residents interacted with former MoHUA minister Hardeep Puri earlier and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar around six months ago, and were assured each time that the flats will be transferred soon.