Families panic as Delhi govt disbands Mustafabad relief camp

NEW DELHI: After Delhi government's orders, the Mustafabad relief camp at Eid Gah has been disbanded and the families still residing here were asked to leave or were accommodated somewhere else. The decision comes in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic.

Imran Khan, a resident of Shiv Vihar had been living in the relief camp ever since his house was looted and vandalised on February 25. "My house was vandalised and looted by the mob. I had printing machinery that was taken away along with money and other things. I had my own business but now I have no work. On Tuesday, we were given an ultimatum of 24 hours to leave the camp in the wake of Coronavirus," Khan narrated his ordeal.

He added that since the announcement, he along with his family immediately left the relief camp and is now staying near his relative's place. "I have rented two rooms,

which is costing me Rs 5,000 at the moment. At the camp when we were asked to leave, we were just provided with 10 days worth of ration, but no money for rent was provided to us," he said.

Khan is one of the many families that have been left homeless. However, the Delhi government has said it was shifting people to shelter homes and proving them with rent money and ration as well. "The families have been shifted to rented accommodation. Meanwhile, Rs. 4000 per family was being paid as basic rent for this month," said an official working with the Delhi government.

The official added that no family was forced while they themselves realised the risk of living there. Meanwhile, Khan said that after the ultimatum they had no choice but to leave. "It is very difficult to survive like this, now that our work has also ended," he added.

A volunteer on ground has said that he has got few distressed calls since families have been asked to move. "All of them have been panicking and others are still trying to figure out where to go. By tonight the camp will be empty," said Ankit, one of the volunteers.

While, some families have been sent to shelter homes, others have temporarily moved in with their relatives. India is witnessing a 21-days lockdown in the wake of Coronavirus.