Rakesh Agrawal
Hyderabad
IN the vicinity of Old Hyderabad’s Charminar a basti called Bandi ka Adda recently won a battle against the municipality to hold on to its only toilet, which real estate developers wanted demolished. So successful was the basti that it became the role model for another basti by the name of Jagdish Huts that has managed to get a drain for itself. Bandi ka Adda’s public toilet was built about four decades ago. The people who live here don’t have money or space to build private toilets, though each family would really like to have one. So this public toilet was being used by 280 people in about 52 households. But the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) had bigger plans in mind. One fine day it announced that it was going to demolish Bandi ka Adda’s only toilet. A petition to tear down the toilet was filed by a wealthy neighbour when he suddenly decided that the toilet was an eyesore. Since the area is being seen as a treasure trove of real estate, the MCH agreed. However, a good samaritan from official circles quietly leaked MCH’s demolition plans to the basti dwellers.
The news thoroughly rattled them. They started looking around for help. Assistance came in the form of the People’s Union for Civic Action and Rights (Pucaar), a group of the Confederation of Voluntary Organisations (COVA), a Hyderabadbased network of NGOs and civil society groups that energise people to fight for their rights. “Pucaar told us that it is the government’s responsibility to provide us with basic facilities. All we had to do was to unite and fight for our rights, and we did just that,” said Shanta Bai, 45, leader of a self-help group (SHG) that COVA had helped to establish. Soon after the MCH announced its decision to raze the toilet, in April 2006, people of the basti formed a united front to save the toilet. The fight was carried out at two levels: by staging a dharna (sit-in), demonstrating outside the MCH office, and by submitting memos to local MLAs, including the State SC Commissioner. A writ petition was filed in the Hyderabad High Court also. “Our job is to create political awareness among people so that the government, whose primary objective is to serve the people, is forced to act,” says COVA director Mazher Hussain.
The agitation yielded results. On the day of the demolition the MCH squad turned up to restore the toilet. “See, men can relieve themselves in the open, but not us women,” said a visibly relieved Nusrat Khaiser, 32, after the demolition plan was thwarted. “We realised that it is crucial for the people to come together,” says Krishna Madiga, another local leader. People in COVA echo his sentiments. “Collectively, we can make a difference. That’s the important message that COVA wants to give to people,” says Chandrasekhar, Pucaar coordinator. This small incident became a precedent for a bigger settlement known as Jagdish Huts. Comprising of more than 200 households, this slum is situated behind Hussani Alam Government Degree College. The basti near Shahgunj is inside a bigger enclosure called a deodi (palace built by a nobleman). Mostly Dalit servants of the nobleman’s descendents live here. They collect sewerage in pots placed in pits which they empty out at night into nearby manholes as there is no drain in the slum.
This created problems since the slum is at a lower height than the manholes. During the rainy season storm water mixed with sewage would flood homes. Residents, especially children, suffered from illnesses like skin infections and stomach ailments. The basti women met officials and political leaders for assistance. “While the politicians (except for local MLA Syed Ahmed Pasha Qadri, who provided Rs .70 lakh from his MLA fund) made empty promises, officials claimed that the area being low-lying could not be connected with the main drainage line. “We were helpless,” says Khateeja, 55. “We had heard about Pucaar’s work at Bandi ka Adda and decided to contact them for help,” said Laiqa Begum. Pucaar decided to study the problem. “We found a way out. A drainage pipe in the basti had to be constructed and connected to the drainage pipeline of the college situated behind,” said Chandrasekhar. But when the community women and Pucaar approached the college it did not agree to help. “This didn’t dampen our determination. We continued to put pressure on the college authorities and after the 2006 summer vacation they relented on humanitarian grounds and gave us six months time to get the work done,” said Noora Ghousia, a local leader. Work proceeded at snail’s pace. Finally, in early 2007 when the actual construction of the drain pipe began the basti children jumped with joy, shouting, Morri agai, Morri agai (here comes the drain), recalls Iqbal Hussain, 13.
But the college created roadblocks. Soon after construction began, the college authorities refused to give permission to connect the slum’s pipeline to the college’s drain. They claimed that the construction of the pipeline would damage a staff room and that the people had exceeded the sixmonth deadline. ‘‘We requested the authorities to have a meeting with the engineer and contractor. On the same day a meeting was organised with all the stakeholders. The college authorities were assured in writing by officials that anything damaged in the premises would be repaired,” said Chandrasekhar. Faced with mounting pressure the college authorities agreed. The role of the college principal is worth a mention. “He persuaded college managers to give permission as it wouldn’t cause any harm to the college premises. On the other hand, it would make the college famous,” said Chandrasekhar. "It was such an important day for us. We didn’t know how to express our joy," said Laiqa Begum overcome with emotion. The pipeline’s inauguration on April 24 this year was a festive event. Dressed in their best clothes, the residents of Jagdish Huts got together to celebrate. “We put up a shamiana. Children darted in and out, often breaking into a jig,” says Laiqa Begum. The most important outcome is that people do not have to carry sewage on their heads any more. They can live with dignity and cleanliness in one of India’s biggest cities.
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