Battle for Mumbai civic body: Mangrove loss, polluted river dominate municipal poll talk in Dahisar and Borivli | Mumbai News
MUMBAI: Rapidly depleting mangrove cover and a once-glorious river now reduced to a nullah pose a dual challenge for candidates keen to contest in the R North ward. Located at the northernmost tip of the city, the areas of Borivli and Dahisar that form part of this civic ward also face critical issues of walkability, poorly maintained civic gardens and the long-delayed inauguration of the second phase of a major public hospital.
Ecological devastation stands out as the most pressing concern. “If you compare aerial photographs of the mangrove cover in Dahisar (West) from 1995 with the existing situation, you will get an idea of just how much mangrove cover has been depleted, with new structures coming up,” points out environment activist Harish Pandey, directly linking environmental degradation to unchecked urban development. Plans for the second phase of the Coastal Road project have created significant anxiety among residents. “There are several questions: How many trees will be cut? How will they be compensated for? And what sort of problems will arise thereafter?” said Pandey.The rejuvenation of Dahisar River has not taken off over the years, and it continues to remain polluted. BMC is in the midst of constructing an STP (sewage treatment plant) in Dahisar (West), which aims to prevent drain and sewage water from entering the river. However, enforcement will be key. Pandey provides a damning example: “Another STP is already functional in Borivli (East), but we have pointed out to the local MLA that waste from ‘tabelas’ (cow sheds) in the area is being dumped into the river after the construction of the STP, defeating the whole purpose,” he said.Architect and former Congress corporator Sheetal Ashok Mhatre, who intends to contest the civic polls, sharply criticised the neglected state of amenities, specifically citing uneven pavements and poorly maintained civic gardens.“Tukaram Omble Garden on New Link Road, for instance, was constructed at a cost of Rs 4 crore in 2009, but it is in shambles now. I have dashed off letters to the civic body, the local MP and the MLA requesting repairs to the boundary wall,” she said.Activist Cassandra Nazreth pointed out that pavements were completely missing on several internalroads in the ward. “Parking and vendors take up an entire lane of the carriageway. Pedestrians have to risk their lives and walk on the carriageway adjacent to the parked vehicles,” she said. Nazreth has been fighting for years to get signage installed on Western Express Highway to direct motoristssafely towards the east-west connector (Sudhir Phadke flyover), but in vain.The reservation lottery has dealt a blow to some corporators who will now have to hunt for new seats to stay in the fray. The late Abhishek Ghosalkar and, subsequently, his wife Tejasvee Ghosalkar served as corporators from Prabhag 1 for a decade. But with the seat now reserved for an OBC candidate, Tejasvee will have to look for another “open seat” to contest from.In a push for accountability, former BJP corporator Harish Chheda suggested introducing a ‘punishment clause’ to penalise civic engineers who repeatedly undertake work on the same pavement or gully in a slum over just a couple of years.Residents also pointed out that critical health infrastructure — the second phase of the civic-run Bhagwati Hospital — has yet to be inaugurated.“The inauguration of Bhagwati Hospital and connectivity with south Mumbai are key issues for R North ward residents, most of whom travel a considerable distance southwards every day to reach their workplaces,” said former Shiv Sena corporator Sheetal Mukesh Mhatre.Politically, Mhatre, who served as a corporator for a decade from 2012 to 2022, said she is not too keen to contest again. “I believe that karyakartas (party workers) should be given a chance instead.”
