Residents of several residential societies in Sector 137, Noida, have come forward to support those slum dwellers who lost their homes during a major midnight fire incident in the nearby Shahdara village on March 5.
The tragedy prompted residents to run a donation collection drive in societies, such as Parsa Tierea, Purvanchal Royal Park, Exotica Fresco, Paramount Floraville and Logix. They are collecting reusable items to provide for the slum dwellers’ day-to-day needs.
The intensity of the flames was so strong that the slum dwellers could not even collect their belongings. Their homes were gutted down in 20 minutes. Around 90 families have since been waiting for rehabilitation aid.
Sushmita Dash Malik, a resident of the sector, said that when she visited the site, everything was already burnt down. She said, “I felt it necessary to extend support to them as they’ve lost so much.”
Hanish Arora, another resident, said, “Residents have been donating wholeheartedly. They are donating reusable utensils, clothes and also cash.”
With the money collected, residents have hired three tents to house the needy. Sandeep Ohri, a resident, said, “We approached them to find out what they needed from us. They told us their requirements and residents are giving them buckets, cloths and water bottles.”
Out of the 90 affected families, 45 are staying in tents. The other half has rented houses in the village. Residents have also been bringing cooked food for them since the morning of March 6. The slum dwellers are being given meals thrice a day.
“We will continue to help the affected persons until each family moves in a new home,” said Rama Krishna, another resident.
