Sanjay Chaugule, the secretary of the Jai Bhavani SRA building in Mumbai, expressed his grievances about the living conditions in his building. He mentioned that he was born in Mumbai and, in 2006, he and others were relocated to their current building by a builder. Unfortunately, they have been facing ongoing difficulties, such as unreliable access to drinking water for the past 15 years. Their situation has been inconsistent, with water supply sometimes available and sometimes not. Chaugule also pointed out that after the builder constructed a private building on their land, the residents were left in less favorable conditions. While the new building offers all the modern amenities, they were relocated to what he described as a subpar living situation. He expressed a sense of neglect and frustration, stating that it often feels like there is no one advocating for the poor. Politicians may visit briefly, but lasting improvements and better facilities remain elusive for the residents.
"I've been the secretary of that building since the beginning," he said. "I am well acquainted with all the details, but I was aware that help would be hard to come by. This incident marks the first time our building has ever experienced a fire. The fire started between 2:30 am and 3:00 am. I have two homes on the first floor. My mother was in the adjacent room, while I, along with my wife, son, and daughter, were in another room."
As soon as we awoke, we were greeted by smoke and darkness throughout the floor. My wife and daughter had been with my mother, and my mother went to the front room to get her slippers. In the meantime, my son Tejas and I had made our way downstairs. However, the smoke inhaled by my wife, daughter, and mother while waiting on the floor tragically led to the death of my 17-year-old daughter, Tisha. My wife, Sanjana (Lakshmi), and my mother, Akkatai, couldn't hold back their emotions as they shared the heart-wrenching news that Bal Thackeray Hospital had to provide oxygen support.
"My daughter, Sha, tragically lost her life in the fire. She was in the thirteenth grade and was a science student with aspirations of becoming an engineer. Sadly, her dreams remained unfulfilled. All our hopes and dreams have been shattered, and my daughter's loss is irreplaceable. The pain of losing a daughter is something only those who have experienced it can truly understand."