MillenniumPost
Bengal

BMC takes initiative to rehab fire-hit people

Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken up initiative to rehabilitate the people, who lost their homes in Saturday’s fire which broke out near Dum Dum Park.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed her concern for the homeless people and directed the Rajarhat Gopalpur MLA and the state agriculture minister Purnendu Bose to take necessary steps to rehabilitate the affected people. 

Around 300 families stay in the slum at Harichand Pally where the fire broke out on Saturday and damaged more than 70 shanties. An 80-year-old man Lakhikanta Barui was charred in the fire. 

Officers from the Disaster Management Group had initiated their work to take the dwellers out of that place when fire fighters were busy dousing the flames. The homeless people have been taken to shelter like local schools and clubs. A health camp has been set up to provide treatment to the affected people. Around 70 people were treated at the health camp. 

The residents of the slum had failed to take the valuables out from their shanties as the fire spread rapidly and they have no warm clothes to protect themselves in winter. After the matter came to the knowledge of Disaster Management Group, immediate steps were taken to distribute blankets among the affected people. Food has also been prepared at the spot and distributed among them. Tarpaulins were also given to the affected people. Employees of the municipal corporation were also found distributing packets containing drinking water.   

Councillors of BMC were present at the spot since morning and monitored the work to clear the debris. BMC workers have cleared the debris in one part of the slum on Sunday and remaining part will be cleared on Monday. Once the work to clear the debris is over, steps will be taken to rehabilitate the homeless people. Initially, arrangements will be made to let them start staying where they had their respective shanties and gradual steps will be taken to help them to build their homes. 

Bose, who was found busy distributing blankets among the affected people, said the work to identify the place where each of them had their shanties has already been started and photograph of a person has been taken by making him/her stand on the plot where he/she used to stay. 

It is learnt that the 80-year-old man, who was charred in the fire, had fracture in one of his legs and it was not possible for him to come out from his shanty alone as he got a traction in his leg. His wife and local people had failed to bring him out of the shanty as the fire spread fast. All necessary supports will be given to the victim’s wife, Bose said.
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