Bhopal Residents Panic as Eviction Notices Trigger Suicide Attempts

Residents of Bhopal’s Janta Quarters face distress after receiving sudden demolition notices without clear rehabilitation plans. Several women attempted suicide, prompting outcry over the lack of alternative housing for low-income families.

Bhopal Residents Panic as Eviction Notices Trigger Suicide Attempts

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], November 14 (ANI): Panic and distress gripped residents of Bhopal’s Janta Quarters in the Aishbagh area after several women allegedly consumed a poisonous substance upon being served eviction notices to vacate their dilapidated houses ahead of a proposed demolition drive. The incident occurred amid growing anxiety among hundreds of families residing in the decades-old Madhya Pradesh Housing Board structures, where authorities had scheduled demolition work to begin on November 14.

Residents expressed deep apprehension over losing the roof over their heads, alleging that while eviction notices were pasted ordering them to vacate, no clear arrangements had been made for their alternative accommodation or rehabilitation. Following the incident, the affected women were rushed to Hamidia Hospital for treatment. Seema Batham, one of the women who consumed the toxic substance and is currently out of danger, told ANI that fear over her children's future and the suddenness of the eviction notice drove her to take the extreme step. “I have three children and where will I take them? My son earns just Rs 150 a day working at a hotel. The government put up notices at midnight, without any administration official coming to inform us. When we read the notices in the morning, it states that the houses would be demolished on November 14. That is why we consumed poison,” Batham said.

Appealing to the state government to allot alternative houses rather than leaving low-income families stranded, Batham explained that private rented accommodation was far beyond her family's financial reach. “We are a family of five. We want the government to provide us with another house in exchange for this one. If houses are being provided to people living in slums, why are we not being given one? Where will I go with my children? When we look for rented rooms, landlords ask for Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 and are unwilling to accommodate families with three children. My son earns only Rs 150 a day. How will I manage these expenses?” she asked.

Responding to the controversy, Bhopal Mayor Malti Rai maintained that the unsafe condition of the Madhya Pradesh Housing Board buildings had been under review for a considerable period and that eviction notices were issued strictly to prevent structural mishaps. “The condition of these dilapidated buildings of the Housing Board came to our notice a long time ago. The matter has been under consideration, and during the monsoon, people were asked to vacate such buildings immediately. Notices were also issued for their demolition. We appealed to residents to vacate these buildings in the interest of their safety and shift elsewhere to avoid any untoward incident,” Rai stated. The Mayor clarified that accommodation arrangements had been put in place for permanent residents whose names appear on the official allotment list, while the cases of other occupants would be examined separately. Rejecting allegations that the civic body was rendering residents destitute, she added, “They are not being made homeless. Some people have started living in these buildings despite knowing that they are going to be demolished. We will have to look into their cases.” Meanwhile, affected families in the Aishbagh locality continue to seek clear assurances and concrete rehabilitation measures from the administration before any demolition action is carried out. (ANI)