Socio – Economic issues of displaced people in Ahmedabad
As a matter of fact, Rehabilitation issues in urban areas taking a vast ground in contemporary India. In this context, rare process of rehousing and resettlements by authority is the responsible factor. There are many problematic issues of urban areas but this article peculiarly emphasized the rehabilitation from all. Reality reveals that good opportunities in different areas attract people from rural to urban areas and these urban areas are becoming unsuccessful to provide housing facilities. This is the cause that many people expect slum areas which comprised deteriorated environmental condition. Still it is mentionable that the definition of development of urban areas didn’t include that person who resides in degraded condition. Authorities always evacuate these areas under the promises of development. Poor people who are evacuated from different urban areas faced lots of problem. In this sense, this paper has pointed out the social – economic issues of urban poor who are rehabilitated or under the process of rehabilitation into the context of SRD project in Ahmedabad city.
Ahmedabad is one of the developed cities of India. According to the list of FORBES 2010, Ahmedabad is one of the fastest growing cities of the world. There are many Development projects implemented by Government and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Such as Bus Rapid Transport Service (BRTS), Solid waste management, Bridge projects, Slum networking Projects, Sabarmati River Front Project etc. Authority is trying to provide better civic services and facilities. Such projects are the reason behind the Development, Upliftment and Enrichment of the city. But sometime such advance projects can create disadvantages for some people. As an example - High rise buildings at the cost of slum areas which grab the poor human settlements. Sabarmati River front development Project is a better illustration of this type of development project. Here scholar has tried to explain other side of developed city through such development project.
Sabarmati River is one of the biggest rivers of north Gujarat. The maximum length of this River is 371Km. Sabarmati River rises in the Arvalli Hills, Udaipur district of Rajasthan and meets the gulf of cambay of Arabian Sea. The total catchment area of the basin is 4164 km. Ahmedabad is located on the banks of Sabarmati River. Sabarmati River has emerged from the midst of Ahmedabad city. Ahmedabad is Situated on the both side of the River. Many people reside on the bank of River Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. Corporation of Ahmedabad has launched a project namely SABARMATI RIVER FRONT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT since 1997 under Section 149(3) of the Indian Companies Act, 1956. Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Ltd (SRFDCL) was provided Rs. 9 crore and entrusted with the responsibility of developing the 9 km riverfront on a Build Maintain, Operate and Transfer (BMOT) basis. Sabarmati channel had 382 meters (1,253 ft) average width and the narrowest cross-section 330 meters (1,080 ft). To develop the riverfront, SRFDCL had uniformly narrowed the channel to 375 meters (1,230 ft). TThis constriction did not affect its carrying capacity, Land will reclaimed by Riverfront Development corporation, and it will allocate for open public use, Most of the land of riverfront will using for public infrastructure, cultural and civil institutions (museum, monuments, exhibition hall etc.) sports facilities, gardens and ten kilometers of uninterrupted pedestrian promenade on both bank sides and public Ghats. Riverfront will creates a new economic opportunity by establishing Informal Market, Hotels and Motels for local public and tourists, event institutions and other leisure activities. Riverfront has largely stretch to almost twenty-two kilometers of retaining walls are designed and have been tested to manage water flow under previously recorded high flood levels, which will protect low-lying areas of the city. More then Rs. 1501 crores budget has been presented by SRFDCL and get consent for this project which will accomplishing in the period of 5 years in two phases. This ambitious project will galvanize the city with new identity and will create a valuable look of Ahmedabad in front of the world. Though, while create a sociological glance, project looks half carved due to overlooked slum dwellers who resided On the river bank. When SABARMATI RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT came to exist, SRFDCL ignore the rehabilitation of Slum Dwellers. More then 10,000 families lived on the bank of river Sabarmati and Authority hadn’t any plan to relocate them. Due to evacuation of these people, they lost their roof and bread. Development would not begin at the cost of convenience of poor people, it should begin without divisiveness. Thus, many questions create for slum dwellers such as to find out new accommodation, to set with new atmosphere and get adjustment with it, to find out new job or business as well as to create new social relation etc. This situation is one type of disfunctionality to social fabrics of the society. Because it creates a social tension. Subsequently, Gujarat high court has ordered to state government for providing a new alternative accommodation and rehabilitate the project affected families by Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project (SRDP). Verdict was on the favor of affected families. But as we have seen before that the problems will still remaining for those people who are shifting to their new accommodation. Data reveals that, out of 5964 families only 2166 families had shifted to alternative accommodation but 3798 families are not shifting to the new houses that they were allocated. This situation shows that there could be many problems for those families who are not shifting to their new residential area.
While Authority started evacuating people from bank of river, authority hadn’t provided alternative accommodation for dwellers that has lost their dwelling place. At that time activists took part for rehabilitation for people, and five petitions were field in high court of Gujarat for relocate them in 2005. In June 24, Gujarat High Court has order to submit a list of families living on the bank. Data shows that there were only 5964 families lived on the bank till 15th May, 2002 and they were Included as a project affected families by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Afterward people dint stopped to set up on the bank of River. And authority didn’t take care for the recreation of slum and by these cause 4319 more families were identified as having settled on the banks between 2002 and 2007. High court directed to Municipality for providing more 4319 houses to slum dwellers. Thus, Municipal Corporation would bear 26.68 caror high expenditure for rehabilitate the slum dwellers. As we have seen that, 5964 families have been identified by authority, and 2166 families have been already moved away to newly prepared residential apartments. High court directed to authority that, 4800 more flats would be constructed till August end. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will offer two bed room flats for 10,283 families who had lived on the both side of River before December 31, 2007.
Main purpose behind selecting this theme is to explore the real condition of displaced people. Government should be serious about the problems of project affected families (Slum Dwellers) while talking about development, because equality is also one of the main objects for development, means “DEVELOPEMNT FOR ALL”. As we know that slum people have very low opportunity to develop them self then upper/upper middle class people. In this case, Authority has neglected the slum people living on the bank of river Sabarmati. Authority hadn’t any alternative plan to displacement and development, while evacuate these people. It seems pertinent that Authority is totally reluctant for the development of people living near the river. As far as scholar conceive this project will merely supported to commercial business. Authority will give permission for the construction of Restaurants (like the branches of MacDonald, SubWay, Honest, HaveMore etc), Hotels, Motels, Malls, Informal market, promenades, and institutions etc on the bank of river. In short, SRFDCL has intended to sell 21 per cent for residential and commercial purposes. This project is only for feeding the peer groups, because they will expand their business. We can not deny that project will provide good infrastructure and civic amenities but most of the opportunities may be grab by big company owners and other business class. On the other hand this project has already grabbed the employment of those people residing on the bank of river Sabarmati. While the authority gave the tender for construction, it could direct to Construction Company for providing work to slum dwellers. By this project authority might be creating the employment opportunity for 10 to 15 years, for project affected family. But Authority was totally reluctant for these people even they ignored their rehabilitation also. So it reveals that government is totally reckless for the problem of slum dwellers reside on riverbank.
As we have seen earlier that recently Gujarat high court has given a verdict in the favor of affected families for their new accommodation. But most of them lost their places, employment and social environment as well as social relations. Authority provides them a new house but it is too much far from their work place which creates more problems for them such as travel expanse and time consumption. So they require finding out new work and work place too. It creates a major problem for their families also. They need to settle their life from the beginning in the context of other residential place, work place, and atmosphere and with other relations. From this sight, we can say that project may be prolife and beneficial for common upper or upper middle class people or authority/government but its scathing those people who resides from the decades. This displacement not reveals only the economic problem for slum dwellers but social problems also. The main questions are “can they adjust their life with new socio - economic environment? Can they adjust with unknown people, and if they get adjust with new place and then people’s questions arise whether new place or area will accept them and their culture? Can they easily find their new work place? And if yes, will they easily adjust with new work place? If they will be continue to their old job, they have to expand minimum transportation cost. Even it is tough to get another place to set up shops, or other small business. There is probability of conflict for opening new shops at new place for affected people (Slum dwellers of riverbank), If project affected people will get new job, It may be possible that they directly come into to the conflict with people resides their or working there. Even conflict might be possible with other families reside for over long time. So why government deny these probabilities? Most of the people are from below poverty line that means they earn less then 1000 Rs. Per month. New accommodation is not only a solution for the problems of slum dwellers, moreover, authority should concise further for their adjustment and aspirations also. Likewise, authority should take under consideration the real situation of affected people by sociological glance. Subsequently they should make an effective planning for infrastructure development.
Conclusion:
As we have seen that the displaced people and those who are under the process of displacement have to face lots of socio economic problems due to divisiveness in the terms of development. Authority didn’t have any seers to develop those who are still suffering under the primitiveness. The project affected families are still live under the bottom line of development. Similarly, such projects for development ruin these people’s socio economic settlements and their stable life which has got by lots of struggle and strives. Eventually, this situation has been created disfunctionality in the structure of project affected family. Most of the people will have to bear more to settle their life again in new atmosphere. When they will not set in their new place, overall structure of family may be disturbed. And as we have seen before that conflict has also created at the new area. So, the situation of affected families (more than 10,000) is not the same who has taken benefits. There is not any suspect among the ambition of the project. It will create a new identity to the city and it will also provide such facilities. But our sight is little bit different that Authority should not give up the poor people from development process. Sociologist and social activist can also take care with authority for these people, and even any development project should not support or scathing particular class. We just want says that Development should not stopped but not at the cost of the poor and unemployed people. The word is totally true that “SLUM SHOULD BE IRRIDICATE NOT BY DISPLACEMENT BUT BY DEVELOPMENT”. Thus, scholars have found many aspect of this project related issues and problems and tried to explain it.
References::
(http://finmin.nic.in/WorkingPaper/Urbanissues_reforms.pdf Access on 16 March, 2012)
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Rushiraj Upadhyay
Ph.D Research Scholar,
Department of Sociology,
Gujarat University.
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