Gokalpuri: Families Lose Seven, Including Two Children in Major Fire

Delhi: At least seven people died in a major fire accident in Gokalpuri. The victims said that the fire erupted around midnight and spread quickly in nearby shanties blocking the only narrow way for escape. Delhi Fire Service officials maintained that firefighters brought the fire under control at 4 am on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Service, said that the officials recovered seven charred bodies. However, the reason for the fire was still not known. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for adults, Rs 5 lakh for children and Rs 25,000 to people who lost their homes.

STRUGGLE TO REBUILD LIFE

The victims maintained that the fire burnt the shanties and turned their hopes into ashes after they lost all of their savings, social security certificates, and even clothes and utensils. A lifeless, inconsolable Ravina still cannot believe that her brother Babloo and his family is no longer with her. Talking to NewsClick, she said, “Ranjit, Babloo, Reshma, Priyanka and Shahanshah were sleeping in their shanties when the fire suddenly spread and turned them into an inferno where there was no escape. Reshma was two months pregnant.”

Sitting in disbelief in her charred home, Roshni told NewsClick that her marriage was scheduled for April 1, and the family had kept her jewellery, savings, and other things in a room. Showing her savings box made of milk powder tin, she said, “All things are burnt. We were lucky in the sense that we could escape after my cousins came to our rescue. We spent the whole night on pavements. The fire spared no item that we could keep with us. Jewellery, clothes, even food items have turned into ashes. I cannot comprehend how will life be stitched back to normal. I do not expect much from the government. If they can compensate for our loss, it will be good. The leaders are visiting us, but I know they will do nothing! If they are really interested to help us, they may make arrangements for families preparing for the marriage of their daughters. These families are impoverished, and it will take a long time to build back their lives, forget about the marriage.”

Mamta, who worked as a maid in nearby houses to support her family of eight, is collecting charred utensils from an iron box. Talking to NewsClick, she said that her family moved from Kanpur to Delhi four years back to explore opportunities for survival. She said, ‘My husband no longer lives with me. I am the sole breadwinner of the family. I had saved Rs 20,000 for any unwanted emergency. The currency notes are gone now. I toiled hard and fed my children. Neither I have any ration card nor a house. It would be good if the government can allot a small piece of land to us where we can live with peace and dignity.”

A conversation with other victims suggests that they belong to the Tharu community (belonging to the Scheduled Tribe category) whose members worked as agricultural workers in Kanpur and adjacent areas. However, reduced work opportunities in farms forced members to seek refuge in metropolitan cities where they made iron buckets and other tools. Some community members tie lemons and chillies on residents’ doors in Gokalpuri and other parts of the national capital. Tying lemons and chillies is considered a promising practise among Hindus. The cluster of victims was formed in Gokalpuri after being evacuated from a plot in Seelampur that the government acquired to build an electricity transmission centre. However, no rehabilitation took place.

Urmila, who came to visit Babloo’s family, told NewsClick that the families lived with indignity in these rented homes where there was no electricity, drinking water or toilet. She said, “One needs to go a kilometre away to attend nature’s call. You go another mile to arrange drinking water from tankers. Is there any dignity here? Why do we elect these leaders? Why cannot they give us a land where we can keep our children safe. Please explain to me how we will claim any help when our documents are burnt.”

Aakash, another resident, suggested that it’s a never-ending ordeal for them as fire incidents became frequent in recent years. Talking to NewsClick, he said, “We lost some shanties previous year too when fire gutted our homes. The officials had announced compensation then too, but nobody turned up for help.”