Urban Poor Testify on Impacts of Climate Change

24th October, 2009, Mumbai:  The City's poor are often blamed for the dirt and pollution of the city. In reality, they are the ones who recyle a lot of the city's waste and have the smallest carbon footprint.

This was the essence of depositions at the Public Hearing,  "Mi Mumbai's Boltey", held at Xavier's College on Saturday, which was also United Nations Day. The public hearing, organized by a Civil Society Coalition on Climate Justice and Equitable Development, is part of a series of six climate change hearing being held in different eco-systems across India as a run-up to the international negotiations on climate change at Copenhagen.

Over 200 urban poor people participated and shared testimonies at the Mumbai hearing. Another 200 participants came from the realms of social action, academics, research, law and other professions.

Those who testified are the "Dalits among Dalits" said Shyam Asolekar, one of the jurors. Homeless people, ragpickers, slum dwellers, leather workers, fisherfolk and others affected by displacement narrated how they have long lived with the worst impacts of urban pollution - as open  sewers run through their slums and toxic garbage in dumped in the vicinity of their homes. These already troubled lived and meager livelihoods are now further in peril because of climate change which means erratic rain patterns and an increased frequency of flash floods.

A wide range of events and exhibitions like open video stall, eco-friendly painting competition, Nukkad- natak were then opened for public participation in the second session and it saw an overwhelming response.

Extract from findings of other jurors

Deepa: Slumdwellers, vendors, ragpickers, fishermen have spoken, and have shown how environment concern is not restricted to the middle class. The poor also are conscious as they are closely linked to nature and affected by environmental degradation.

Sandeep Yevle: Basic needs and luxury needs are different.. If we go for luxury, the environmental consequences are heavy. Development must be for people, not people for development.. So many of the projects like the Metro, MUTP etc are depending on more concrete and steel which is a heavy burden on the environment.

How do we bring down the amount of vehicular traffic, how do we reduce waste by self and decentralized system of treating and handling waste .

The project to have slum free Mumbai will only increase the concrete and steel usage and create a much larger carbon footprint.

Gopi Kumar:

We have to be more vigilant and organized to prevent destructive policies and programmes from being implemented.

Concluding Comments

The concluding session comprised of suggested solutions and recommendations from the jurors. These recommendations would finally be tabled in the last hearing to be held in Delhi. A final report would be submitted for deliberation at the Copenhagen climate change meet in December this year

Fr. Anthony Dias of the Xavier Institute of Social Research  the testimonies have shown that the model of development needs to be examined.

Speaking of what this public hearing takes to Copenhagen, Aditi Kapoor of Oxfam spoke of   sustainable development must be equitous, and we must take both issues of development and environment together.   From this city hearing we see that Mumbai is a microcosm of the world situation, where we can see relationships between  the developed and the so called developing sections and it shows that the nature of development should reduce the emissions, at the local level people have to be empowered to do their bit at a decentralized level, and that we must be aware of the options and negotiations of the global level and make our views heard.

Extracts from Depositions

Sushila Sable: Ragpicker

We ragpickers,  are generally homeless or live in slums, but help clean up  waste. From 5 am we start picking, and manage to pick around 50 to 60 kgs. There are about 20,000 women ragpickers in Mumbai alone.  With the help of Stree Mukti Sangathna, we also now help recycle wet waste into compost. Under the Stree Mukti We, under SMS, we recyle wet waste into compost.  

Felix DSouza, Vasai vikas sanstha,

From 1990, as a result of urbanisation and expansion of Mumbai , people have had to seek housing in Vasai. These places are advertised as green places,  this itself is creating a concrete mass in an earlier Green Vasai.  These concreate spaces need lots of water, and water is drawn from wells, and the traditional wells are running dry. Vasai is now known as a land mafia dominated area.

We are not against development.. But we are opposed to  destruction development,-- which is mainly the development of concrete habitat. We are looking for a sustainable development where our traditional fruit  and trees and tradition fishing,

Ajay Kumar, Homeless

There are about 1 lakh  homeless people in mumbai, and do various jobs like catering, working in hotels, rag-pickers., weddings and other odd jobs. Poor people are picking a lot of the waste. But they are being evicted, as the homeless don't have any  recognition.

In the rainy season,  about 40 to 50 people homeless die every time  there is flood. Daily two or three people do die in anycase.  

Suresh Gawli  is a chappal repairer in Andheri.  Chappal repairers also make footwear, and they who do not use heavy chemicals, electricity . That means that they work and provide valuable service to the city without polluting the city. Recently, we have been displaced by the new hawking zone rules. We need to be near where people are being shifted to places where people will have to commute and spend more than what the footwear repair will cost them. The government policy seems to be favouring the bigger factories and corporate footwear system which are bigger polluters and have a larger carbon footprint..

Jamila Shankar Mote, slum dweller near Mankhurd on Water

A sixty foot wide nalla passed through our area. It bring in all the waste and garbage of the city.  Waste and cotton is burned near these nallas. Further we are within one and half km from the dumping ground.  The smell is so much, that when we are eating we have to get up.. We don't have any dispensary or health facilities close by.  50 out of 100 will have some form of TB because of bad water, dirty sewage.

Neville Dsouza:  In the Borovili- Gorai belt , we have 10 villages.  70% people are fishermen in about  sixty fishing communities having a rich traditional and culture of their own distinct culture.

In the name of development all the creeks and lowlands are being invaded by development.. and filling and beautification projects, modernisation projects in the name of  making Mumbai a modern city, has destroyed the mangroves. Also the water, creeks, and shores are polluted , with chemicals, sewage, dirt. fishing is affected.

 Santhosh Thorat  from Mankhurd Saathenagar.. 23 years old.. in Mumbai..

I have seeing a big difference in Mumbai.. They say that the poor are responsible for the dirt of mumbai.  The Poor build the buildings. Our houses are  made of sticks and recycled materials. Our houses dont have Acs. Earlier we use to go out when we felt hot.  Now we can't go out as it is very polluted. At best we can put on a fan...

Lourdes Nunnes

IN the peri-uban area,Uttan ,  Dongri , Gorai., we have the following communities:  Kolis doing fishing, Agriculturists, and  Agri samaj working in Salt pans.

I have seen that the Rainfall has become eratic. It rains for a few days and then there is drought. This is a major problem for cultivation. Many people have moved from Agriculture. Land is becoming non-cultivable, and People are selling their land to middle man. People are selling off their livelihood. The sold land is used by these parties to construct building, resorts, and the resulting development  is destructive.

Dumping ground has created a major problem. The entire area is surrounded by traditional villages.   As a citizen our Fundamental right to a clean air.  And this is being taken away from us by the dumping ground. We  have to fight for clean air as it has been destroyed by the dumping ground. 

BACKGROUND

Participating Organisations at the event:

Abhishek Bhardwaj (Alternative Realities); Anthony Dias (Xavier Institute of Social Research and Action); John D'Souza (Centre for Education and Documentation); Jyoti Mhapsekar (Stree Mukti Sanghatna); K T Suresh (YUVA); Mayuree Pundit  (Oxfam India); Nilesh Puradkar (YUVA); P K Das (Architect, NHSS); Prabhakar Nair (ICOR); Prof. Jayaraman (Tata Institute of Social Sciences); Raju Bhise (YUVA); Ruchi Jain (Indian Youth Climate Network); Shwetank Mishra (Saathi); Surabhi Sinha (Vikas Adhyayan Kendra); Walter Mendoza (INECC)

According to Ms. Nisha Agrawal, Chief Executive officer, Oxfam India, ''India is observing drastic changes in the climatic pattern and it is struggling to cope with its adverse effects.This year alone, there have been a series of natural calamities like the Cyclone Aila, drought in many States and more recently, the devastating floods in Southern India. All these catastrophes were an effect of climate change and took thousands of human lives besides destroying huge amounts of natural and manmade property. These occurrences should be treated as an early alarm to take action now for saving our nation and the globe from bigger tragedies.''

Effects of climate change spare none and worst hit are the poor who have limited resources and capacity to respond or adapt to the change weather patterns. Today's hearings gathered numerous testimonies which would work as evidences to influence the decision makers on the urgency of the issue of climate change.''The objective of these hearings is to bring forward evidence in the form of testimonies of people to influence the decision makers on the urgency of taking action on the issue of climate change. Also, the final report to be submitted at Copenhagen would highlight the perspective of the developing nations in front of the world leaders which would help them keep the link between climate change and poverty in mind while framing the way ahead on this issue," added Nisha. 

Information Note on Climate Change hearings:

This initiative is part of a series of six hearings in India aimed at giving an opportunity to people from the grassroots to testify on the effects of climate change. Hearings are slated to be held in Rishikesh, Mumbai, Pondicherry, Jaipur and New Delhi between now and November 11.  A video made on the testimonies will be shown at Copenhagen where heads of States are meeting this December to agree on a global climate pact. Geographies  in India where hearings are being held range from deserts to oceans, from hills to backwaters and from forests to barren lands.

Oxfam is organizing these hearings in many countries globally and the voices of people from the grassroots would be mainstreamed at the Copenhagen summit to put forth the argument that more funds are needed in developing countries for adaptation work and rich countries need to reduce their carbon emissions because there are limits to how much poor people can adapt to changing climatic conditions.

About Oxfam India:

Oxfam India works towards putting an end to poverty and injustice. For over 50 years, Oxfam has been actively partnering communities and like-minded organizations to bring in a global movement of change. Oxfam India is a member of Oxfam International, which works in over 110 countries on issues related to people living in poverty and helping them take control of their rights. Oxfam India focuses on 4 priority areas: Economic Justice - earning a better income; Gender Justice - unlocking women's potential; Essential Services - the ABC of overcoming poverty; and Humanitarian Work - preparing to survive.

For Further information please contact

Mr. K Kannan | Kannan@oxfamindia.org | 9911151783