A 'tragic' story from ground zero

Mohammed Matullah is a disillusioned man. The friend he thought he could rely on shirked his responsibility when Matullah's shanty caught fire on Friday night.

Matullah had a couple of machines stacked on the third floor of his shanty in Garib Nagar, which he hoped his friend would help him move. The machines were used to dry clothes. The friend took off to help a young girl in the neighbourhood, instead.

"Had he helped, I would've been able to save the machines that cost close to a lakh. It was my only source of income. During a tragedy, you realise who your real friends are," said a a defeated Matullah.u00a0

The 45 year-old moved out of Behrampada into Garib Nagar early in 2009, and managed to escape the June 2009 fire that gutted Behrampada. "I managed to escape then but this one took away everything I had."

Locals claim that while the rent of rooms in Garib Nagar's shanties are moderate, they have all paid sky high deposits. "I paid Rs 1 lakh as deposit for a tiny shanty, and the monthly rent is Rs 7,000. We renew our agreement every 11 months," said a resident.