Dharamsala: Slum dwellers’ settlement at Sarah village opposed

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 30

About 59 families of slum dwellers and 15 families of locals, who have been housed in Bagli government school after July 12 flash flood, are facing an uncertain future. The government had allotted land in Sarah village to temporarily settle these families as their settlements were washed away in flash floods. However, the residents of Sarah village are now opposing the settlement of slum dwellers in their area. The village panchayat of Sarah has written to the district administration against settling slum dwellers in their area.

The families are also under pressure to vacate the government school, Bagli building where they are housed for the time being. The government has decided to open schools from August 2 and education department authorities want the school premises vacated.

Raju, a displaced slum dweller said, “We are feeling lesser beings and praying for a piece of land to settle down. We have been staying Dharamsala for the past 50 years and doing the cleaning job as sweepers in the city but it was sad that people are not ready to accept us in their vicinity which was very disheartening,” he said.

The NGOs helping the slum dwellers are demanding police help to settle dwellers and other displaced people in the government land allotted to them by the district administration. Akshay Jasrotia, an activist who is helping the slum dwellers since long, said that 86 slum dwellers, who have been displaced in flash floods, are working as sweepers with Dharamsala municipal corporation.