Urban poor Testify on impacts of Climate Change at a session held by Oxfam India - I

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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 recycle 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 Boltey”, held at Xavier’s College on Saturday, which was also United Nations Day. The public hearing, organized by Oxfam India and 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.

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Urban poor Testify on impacts of Climate Change at a session held by Oxfam India - Concluding Comments

Urban poor Testify on impacts of Climate Change at a session held by Oxfam India - Background

Author: Amit Shanbhag | Published Oct 26, 2009 | 02:08 PM