While the summer heat was unbearable and the rest of the Mumbai was struggling over shortage of water, this village in Aarey Colony was seeking its 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) for the basic supply of electricity, something that they had been deprived of for the last 70 years.
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Naushacha Pada, a village in Aarey Colony houses over 60-65 tribal families and has been there even before Aarey was formed in 1951. Adivasi Hakk Sanvardhan Samiti, a union fighting for their rights had been struggling since 2009 to get an NOC from Mumbai Veterinary College. After 10 years, they finally received the NOC on June 3. However, their plight did not come to an end with this. Every resident had to pay ₹7000 for electricity connection. As stated in The Indian Express, after reading about them in a daily, a Mumbai resident who prefers to be anonymous donated ₹1.9 lakhs to them.
The residents had their sigh of relief after they finally received a connection on Sunday, June 30. Prior to this, the kids studied under kerosene lamps and the adults had to wait till they reach their office to charge their phones.
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