About 6,200 huts on Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) owned land in Ambuj Wadi were removed on a single day rendering thousands without a roof over their heads.

The effect of the demolition drive was immediately felt in the private Sir J R High School (Hindi and English medium) nearby. Several of it 460 students, from Class I to X, did not turn up after the demolition drive. They had lost their homes and their books.

Pushplatha, a trustee of the school, said, "Many of our Std X students stopped attending classes after the demolition, and their exams are just around the corner (in March). Only a few managed to find refuge in relatives ' homes and are trying to attend classes."

The BMC-run school in the area also saw attendance drop drastically. Most of the children in the slum were its students. The school is just half a kilometre away from the demolition site. Attendance in two other BMC-run schools nearby also fell by up to 30%. The civic schools offer free education, books and a meal.

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