Ward F (North) : Left Dumpstruck

Comprising portions of the island city that border the eastern suburbs,
the F-North Ward is plagued by unhygienic conditions, unauthorised slums and
illegal hawkers from end to end.

Innumerable complaints made to municipal ward officers and corporators
have not helped this centrally located area one bit, say residents.

The ward contains portions of the perennially busy, yet largely
residential areas of Dadar, Sion, Antop Hill and Matunga. It is home to
Gujaratis, South Indians and Maharashtrians as also a large proportion of
Parsis who mostly reside in Parsi Colony near Five Gardens.

Stretching from Chunabhatti Lake, which is in a pathetic condition, to
Khodadad Circle, the ward has been slowly dying under the weight of slums,
hawkers, garbage and traffic congestion.

Amazingly, it was once considered one of the more beautiful areas of the
city, with several parks and old bungalows. But today it has practically
nothing to boast of. There isn’t one good road or pavement, say residents.

Both the Eastern and Western Express highways pass through this ward.
Ironically they are among the worst roads even though they attract the
maxiumum traffic as they connect the suburbs to the business hub

of South Mumbai.

The Dadar flyover may have provided some respite from traffic
congestion, but the newly constructed road that leads to the flyover has
caved in and several complaints have resulted in nothing.

Mehernosh Fitter, a resident

of Parsi Colony, said vehicles have a bumpy ride along this road. “The
condition of this road (Tilak Bridge Road), constructed last August, only
shows the shoddy work done by the BMC,” he said. Fitter, who is active in
local affairs, has also complained that subways have become home to the
poor. Garbage removal is also pathetic in the area, resulting in unhygienic
conditions. “There are rats running around, causing cases of lepto
regularly,” said another resident of Hindu Colony.

There was a time when Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray used to reside on
Nathalal Parekh Marg-popularly known as Gauri Gully-where the city’s
renowned engineering

college, VJTI, is located. Residents of the area recall that during
those years in the late 1990s, a municipal used to pick up garbage every few
hours.

“But now we have to wait two or three days for the garbage to be picked
up,” said one resident of the lane. Hundreds of morning joggers at Five
Gardens have to also bear the stench.

The ward also lacks pay-and-park spaces. Space below the Dadar flyover
was kept for the purpose, but is being used by private taxis, so residents
and shopkeepers have no place to park their vehicles.

Similarly, pay-and-park spaces allotted at Gandhi Market and
Shanmukhananda Hall are being occupied by unauthorised hawkers.

On the ward’s western side a string of organisations play host to
marriages and parties during the weekends-Manav Seva Sangh Hall, North
Indian Association, Bharatiya Music Academy, Little Angles School and
Athletic Ground. But again, there are no parking facilities and cars parked
on roads lead to traffic jams, said another resident Swati Shah.

During the monsoon, this particular area is also known to hit the
headlines due to flooding, a problem about which the BMC has done little
over the years.

Dr Gauranga Vora, a pathologist residing in Sion (East), said, “We are
sitting on a time bomb,” when referring to the water pipeline. Slum
dwellers live on the pipeline and their sewage flows alongside. “Cracks in
the water line will cause their sewage to enter our water suply,” said
Vora.

Because of the new high-rises that have come up in Sion (East), a water
cut of 10-15% is now a common occurrence there.

Older residents, used to 24/7 water supply, have submitted innumerable
complaints to the BMC, but they appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

WHAT PEOPLE WANT

Garbage to be regularly removed from all areas, and places like Chunnabhatti
Lake cleaned up. The open garbage create a health problem for residents as
rats proliferate

Unauthorised slums should be removed, especially those on water pipelines
and in subways. The slums on water pipelines are a health hazard as the
sewage of slumdwellers flows close to the pipes

Better roads and pavements. Even newly constructed ones are in bad shape

Unauthorised hawkers need to be organised and given a place where they can
function from

Pay-and-park spaces need to be cleared of encroachments and used for the
purpose they were allotted for. More parking space is also needed in areas
of Sion (West)

Sion Fort needs to be cleaned

Five Gardens, one of the green lungs of the area, needs proper maintenance

More water, so the needs of older residents and new high-rises are met.
Presently areas are suffering due to water cuts VOIC E OV E R

DIRTY SHAME: Chunabhatti Lake in F-North Ward used to be once brimming with
clear water, but it has now been reduced to a dumping ground. Residents
allege it is being allowed to die a slow death so that the plot can be used
for construction

Mehernosh Fitter RESIDENT ACTIVIST FIVE GARDENS RESIDENT Slums have come up
even in the ‘subways of Dadar. Garbage is not picked up regularly, posing
health hazards.

Dr Gaurang Vora PATHOLOGIST SECRETARY, FLANK ROAD CITIZENS’ FORUM Hawkers
have set up shop on the sole pay-and-park space close to Shanmukhananda
auditorium. ‘There are slums all over the area, even on the drinking water
pipes. Waste from these slums fl the drinking water pipes.

Swati Shah KING’S CIRCLE RESIDENT With not enough payand-park spaces, parked
vehicles spill out all over the main roads and enter residential buildings.
We have five marriage halls in our neighbourhood, but not one parking lot.

Matunga, Sion, Dadar Antop Hill

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