Diarrhoea Claims 4 lives in Daman

By Our Correspondent

Daman: Diarrhoea outbreak in some parts of Daman claims 4 lives another 127 people were admitted to various government and private hospitals. Out of 4, three were migrant labour from Jharkhand. Migrants labourers all were from Babu bhai chawl which is found to be illegally constructed. The main supply of drinking water is from bore well which was dug up at the side of a common lavatory.

Daman is notorious for its exploitation of labour. UTS’ VOICE has earlier reported the nexus of labour officers with the industrialists of the area while highlighting corrupt practices of Sh. A.R. Patel. Unfortunately nothing has happened in that case. The present case is not merely a clean water and sanitation problem but it directly indicates a nexus between industrialist who exploits labour at work place in collusion with labour officer at one hand and a nexus of builder mafia of chawls in collusion with civic authorities on other hand results in illegal construction of chawls. This results in exploitation of migrate labourers in their dwelling place as well. The main culprits are pollution control board people who allow discharge of affluent without any pollution control measure, by accepting money from the same industrialist. The toxicity in the ground water in Daman has reached alarming proportions. The polluted ground water along with contamination caused by poorly build makeshift civic system causes water borne diseases like Diarrhoea. Another ugly face of Municipal Authority is reflected in the bureaucratic apathy where they do not even divulge proper information. The officers refuse to divulge the statistics of the year 2006- 07.

Commenting on the issue Mr. Ajay Kumar Deputy Collector on enquiring about necessity of labourer from outside Daman said “it is not true that there is unemployment in Daman. Actually the people of Daman want jobs according to their status, much more then their qualification and ability.” A survey was made and found that the people of Daman are more interested in fast money with easy source of income. People living in industrial areas or having landed property, falling in industrial zone, sold out their lands, sitting at home, waiting for the money to end. District magistrate Sh. Anand when asked about how unauthorized chawl have come up on the government land. “Notices have been issued to the owners of unauthorized chawls and persons responsible for the calamity. Orders for sealing the Bore wells, found in contaminated condition, have been passed with immediate effect” he said. Wherever such incidences are there each departments blames other and prove the theory that multiplicity of agency results in dilution of crime. Such incidents also brought in focus the ugly face of national problem that is migration. There is poor goveranance in Bihar and Jharkhand for the last twenty years. there is no law, no order, no government but only naxals. This compels the population migrate. The Bihari replaced sikh auto drivers in Delhi, milk suppliers in Mumbai, shopkeepers in Assam and labourers in Punjab.

At every place the local opposes them results in killing in Assam and Punjab. Migration appears to be neither central government problem nor state government. This neutral attitude results in unecessary presssure on sewage system, sanitation and on drinking water supply in Metros and place of potential employment. Lots of politics has resulted migration of almost 5 crore Bangladeshi to this country. The end result death by diarrhoea. It is almost 60 years of Independence that this game is continued in every part of the country. In Delhi it is Slum Scam , in Daman it is illegitimate chawl. It looks like builder mafia has systematically destroyed the system where health is also a casuality.

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