Friday last, a PIL (public interest litigation) has been file in the city’s High Court to seek directive to demolish illegal buildings in Kolkata. The PIL is presumably as a result of ghastly fire in an unauthorized building in the congested Topsia area, that apparently housed a leather factory.
Going by newspaper reports, several rules are found disobeyed at the Topsia factory. One, the building is an illegal construction. Two, a leather factory has been running there in gross violation of Supreme Court directive, which has banned all leather-manufacturing there because it causes pollution.
The third violation of country’s law is even more serious. The factory employed child labor, and what’s more, they used to be locked in rooms at night while sleeping for the fear that they might flee. This is the main reason why so many child workers died on the fateful night when their room caught fire.
Since these incidents do not remain in the focus of mainstream media for long, therefore cocking a snook at rules with impunity is so easy. This makes one wonder what the rules are meant for?
Meanwhile, in Delhi as the sealing drive continues in earnest at the instance of Supreme Court’s stern directive, an interesting development unfolds there. Traders from so-called illegal shops are reportedly making beelines to large malls to buy space for shifting their businesses. The demand is so heavy that mall-space in Delhi has doubled in cost in just about 4 months. See this story.
Will something of that sort ever happen in Kolkata? Chance is very slim indeed, going by examples of leather factories still running in the city despite Supreme Court’s ruling to the contrary.
Delhi traders protest – Kolkata door ast! [Picture courtesy]
Related reading: Hawker hawker, have no fear
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