Factories downshutters, workersoutinthecold
Factory owners in Anaj Mandi shut shop, waiting for the ‘dust to settle down’; hundreds of workers devoid of basic necessities such as warm clothes, blankets
NEWDELHI:A day after a devastating fire at an illegal manufacturing unit in north Delhi’s Anaj Mandi left 43 workers dead and 16 injured, it was the workers again who suffered as factory owners in the neighbourhood downed their shutters — waiting for the “dust to settle down”.
Left in the lurch, out of the factories that doubled as their residences, hundreds of labourers found themselves devoid of basic necessities such as warm clothes, blankets and toiletries.
“All my belongings were left inside the factory when we were asked to temporarily vacate the place on Sunday morning. I haven’t been allowed to go back in since then. I won’t be paid my salary for the loss of these working days,” said Raja Qureshi, a man who works in a bag-manufacturing unit.
Not allowed by local residents to even enter the neighbourhood where the fire occurred, Qureshi and dozens of other workers staged a protest on Monday morning.
The protests were quelled within minutes. “The factory owners warned us against speaking to journalists if we want to keep our jobs,” said another worker who didn’t want to be identified.
On Monday, as dozens of such labourers loitered aimlessly on Rani Jhansi Road – outside the limits of the neighbourhood – factory owners or their aides kept a watch on who they spoke to.
“I spent the night at a shelter for the homeless, but new people like me faced hostility. I haven’t thought where I will stay tonight. I haven’t even been able to have a bath,” said Mohammad Naushad.
Yet another worker, Haider Ali, said he had to borrow money from his friend since his wallet too was left in the factory. “I don’t have enough money to buy food for another day. I want to go back home,” said an emotional Ali who belongs to Darbhanga in Bihar.
Mohammad Mehmood, who owns a factory, said a unanimous decision by owners of the buildings out of which these units operated forced them to down the shutters. “They are afraid the buildings will be sealed, so they have asked us to lie low. We don’t know how long we will continue to lose business this way,” Mehmood said.
Apart from the factories, almost all shops in the neighbourhood remained closed through Monday. Local residents were allowed to walk into the affected lane after 8 pm on Sunday but labourers were kept out. Some people made it to the building in early Monday but barricades were placed outside its shutter gate later.
The day saw many officials and investigating teams visit the burnt building – prominent among them were North Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner Varsha Joshi, a forensic
ON MONDAY, DOZENS OF LABOURERS LOITERED AIMLESSLY ON RANI JHANSI ROAD, AS FACTORY OWNERS OR THEIR AIDES KEPT A WATCH ON WHO
THEY SPOKE TO.
team and a team from the Uttar Pradesh fire department.
“There are many such factories in our state too. We have come to see how to avoid such tragedies back home,” said Aman Sharma, deputy director, UP Fire Services.
Before these visits, there was a brief panic as smoke was seen billowing from the building’s second floor – the same spot from where Sunday’s blaze was suspected to have begun. But firefighters brought a water truck and controlled the situation in time.
Relatives and friends of people who worked in that building continued to visit the neighbourhood. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) set up a help desk nearby.
“There were seven people who visited us. We told four of them that their people were dead. The kin of two others were injured,” said Sunil Surana, a DDMA official.
The local market association members, meanwhile, said there was no way to get rid of these factories and suggested that a redevelopment of the region was the only solution.