Meanwhile, look where BMC has dumped waste
Shivaji Park bldg residents say the civic body has been dumping debris for the past eight months outside their gate; ward officer unaware of complaints …GEETA DESAI
While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has elaborate rules that penalise citizens who dump construction debris on roads, there is very little citizens can do if the BMC itself piles debris outside their building compounds.
Residents of Matruchaya building at Shivaji Park are victims of such a situation. The residents have been complaining to the civic authorities for the last eight months about the dumping of debris and garbage by BMC staff just outside their building gate.
The residents have to bear not only with pests that are attracted to the garbage heap, but also drug addicts and beggars who come there to scavenge recyclables from the heap.
“The BMC has its own godown just near our building, but they use that only for items confiscated from illegal hawkers. They dump unwanted things and garbage near our building. We do not get enough space to park our cars,” said Nagarajan Konar, a resident of the building.
“Trucks loaded with mud and construction material come at all times and dump the debris,” said Vrushali Pednekar, another resident.
Families staying in the building say that their prime concern is security. “The dumping of debris is done all times, even at midnight or in the wee hours of the day.
Our sleep is disturbed. Drug addicts and rag pickers come here to pick up metal pieces and other things they can scavenge from the construction material. This is a security threat as they come during the night to collect the scrap,” said another resident of the area.
Nachiyar Nagrajan, another resident said, “Our children fall sick because of the dirt accumulated here. We are forced to shut our windows even during the day because of the flies and cockroaches.”
The residents say that repeated complaints have elicited no response from the ward office.
When contacted, ward officer of G/North, N V Pai said that no one, including the BMC, can just dump debris on the road. “But I am not aware of complaints made by these residents. We will immediately look into the matter,” he said.
Residents of Matruchaya building say because of the debris, they do not get enough space to park their cars