Massive fire at slum clusters in Dwarka, 150 shanties gutted

It all started with a fire at the scrap godown which further engulfed the entire Sainik Nagar slum. Twenty fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the fire, said a fire department official. Since the fire was so massive, it took three and a half hours to completely douse the flames, added the fire department official.

The fire broke out at around 10:10 am in the godown adjoining the scrap dumping area of the slum cluster near Matiala. Although, no casualties have been reported, thousands of scrap dwellers have been left without a shelter. With the mercury rising, the slum dwellers were stranded with no water and food till help came in the form of AAP slum cluster cell. Ashwin Raghav of AAP slum cluster cell with a colleague started distributing packets of water. Assuring the locals that food will be made available, Ashwin told Millennium Post, “We have called in caterers and will be preparing dal and kadi to serve the people.”

On the other hand, to take stock of the situation, the District Magistrate Ankur Garg and MLA Gulab Singh of the Matiala constituency visited the spot. “Of the 550 slums, 150 have been damaged. Water tankers have been called in. Tents are being put up for the displaced and food will be served,” said Ankur Garg, DM.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced Rs 25,000 compensation for the slum dwellers. 

Trying to dig out what is left after the massive fire, Pinki, one of the slum dwellers, said “I have been living here with my family for the past ten years. Everything is gone. All the utensils, money, clothes is turned to ashes. What is only left are the clothes we are wearing. My husband’s cart too is burnt. Now how will we feed ourselves?”

Ranjit Chaudhary, a scrap labourer said, “It is a private land on which we all have been living. A man named Jai Kishan extorts Rs 3000 from each slum. Moreover, he is the one who supplies electricity to the slums for which he charges Rs 300 per bulb. The activities carried out here are under his control.”