Suryaputri Tapi river is awaiting a major makeover in the coming weeks. With shifting of more than 25,000 slum dwellers from the banks of Tapi river and 50,000 more likely to be relocated to EWS at Kosad, the landscape along the river is set to completely change.
Many slum colonies had come up on the banks of the river at Adajan, Rander, Chowk, Katargam and Varachha. As per Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) estimate, there existed 15,000 huts located in different slum localities. The SMC has till now re-located about 8,500. Of these, 5,000 huts were on the riverbed in Subhashnagar and Nehrunagar. The inhabitants of about 3,500 huts in Bapunagar in Adajan will be re-located in 15 days' time. The SMC plans to complete total relocation of the slum dwellers from the river banks within a month.
"We have built 19,440 EWS quarters at Kosad for these people. In all about one lakh people will be re-located to Kosad," said DM Patel, executive engineer, SMC.
"These were flood-prone areas and every year we had to shift people. It will save the SMC a lot of money and man hours," an official said.
The landscape in the vicinity of the river bank will change once all the hutments are cleared. This will allow the civic body to develop walk ways and recreational facilities.
"The banks on both sides of the river looked so filthy due to the slums. It is a different feeling to see the area neat and clean," said Danish Noorani, a textile businessman residing in a society close to the slums.
Raja Sheikh, another resident in Adajan, said, "When I used to open my window facing the river, all I used to see was the filthy slums. Half of them have gone and others will be removed in the next few days. Now, I will be able to see the river in its natural avatar."
However, shifting of the slums to one facility could raise some socio-economic issues.
"The slum dwellers were living together in Subhashnagar and Nehrunagar. Now, they will live in Kosad. The only difference is that the blocks are separated on the basis of caste and religious belief as demanded by them," an SMC official said.
Source: Times of India
Many slum colonies had come up on the banks of the river at Adajan, Rander, Chowk, Katargam and Varachha. As per Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) estimate, there existed 15,000 huts located in different slum localities. The SMC has till now re-located about 8,500. Of these, 5,000 huts were on the riverbed in Subhashnagar and Nehrunagar. The inhabitants of about 3,500 huts in Bapunagar in Adajan will be re-located in 15 days' time. The SMC plans to complete total relocation of the slum dwellers from the river banks within a month.
"We have built 19,440 EWS quarters at Kosad for these people. In all about one lakh people will be re-located to Kosad," said DM Patel, executive engineer, SMC.
"These were flood-prone areas and every year we had to shift people. It will save the SMC a lot of money and man hours," an official said.
The landscape in the vicinity of the river bank will change once all the hutments are cleared. This will allow the civic body to develop walk ways and recreational facilities.
"The banks on both sides of the river looked so filthy due to the slums. It is a different feeling to see the area neat and clean," said Danish Noorani, a textile businessman residing in a society close to the slums.
Raja Sheikh, another resident in Adajan, said, "When I used to open my window facing the river, all I used to see was the filthy slums. Half of them have gone and others will be removed in the next few days. Now, I will be able to see the river in its natural avatar."
However, shifting of the slums to one facility could raise some socio-economic issues.
"The slum dwellers were living together in Subhashnagar and Nehrunagar. Now, they will live in Kosad. The only difference is that the blocks are separated on the basis of caste and religious belief as demanded by them," an SMC official said.
Source: Times of India
