Mithi Can Decide How Votes Flow
On Thackeray’s Birthday, The Sena-BJP Released Their Poll Promises, While An
Intel Report Forecast A Hung House
Mumbai: The floods of 2005 are still vivid in their memories, but the
residents of the five election constituencies through which the Mithi River
flows want to move on. Despite the BMC’s massive clean-up drive, the river
remains a huge nullah with effluents flowing in it and a stench that proves
that a lot of work remains to be done.
Residents of areas through which the Mithi flows show no particular
preference for any candidate, but maintain that the corporator must work to
clean up the river.
“Last year, there was no flood because of the widening and deepening of
the river. A number of encroachments were also removed. But what is needed
now is to clean up the river and lay sewer lines so that the river does not
look like a gutter. This will also keep mosquitoes out of our homes,” said
Mohammed Amin, a retired schoolteacher and resident of Taximen’s Colony.
Clearly, the fate of the river continues to be uppermost in their minds.
For residents of the Old Air-India colony, which is closest to the river,
2006 was a big relief. “They not only raised the levels in the colony but
did the footpaths and road as well. It took a flood for the authorities to
realise that these amenities were missing,” said Archana Karle, a resident.
She, however, said the stormwater drain network needs to be improved. “There
was water-logging in other colonies and the road too faced a similar
problem. Unless new drains are laid and properly maintained the problem of
flooding will persist,” she said.
Residents of the five constitutencies are categorical that the work
started post-26/7 should not lose momentum. “The government had announced
plans to beautify the precincts of the river. The cleaning and
beautification must be done for the good of the city,” said Tanuja Jadhav,
a resident of Shikshak Nagar which is about 100 metres from the river.
CATCHMENT AREAS
Constituency 83: University Campus to Dharamsi Colony (Kalina) One of the
worst-affected on 26/7. It will see a 3-way contest between Krupashankar
Pandey (Cong), Sanjay Potnis (Sena) and former corporator George Abraham
(Independent).
Constituency 150: Tungve village-Chandivli village (Andheri East) Families
affected by the Mithi widening were shifted here. Last year, city Congress
president Gurudas Kamat had complained about the poorly built buildings
here. Most residents will return to their previous constituencies to vote.
Parties are already arranging transport to polling booths. The contest is
between Sharad Pawar (NCP) and Rajesh Chindarkar (Sena).
Constituency 155: Jarimari It was here that the course of the Mithi River
was changed by the Airports Authority of India to construct a taxiway,
resulting in the 26/7 flooding. In the last elections, Lalita Annamalai of
the Congress was elected from here. This time her husband S Annamalai is
contesting. His main opponent is Akhtar Khan of the Samajwadi Party.
Constituency 157: Wadia Estate to Premier Automobiles This ward was the bone
of contention between the Congress and NCP, which finally led to the failure
of their proposed alliance. Sitting Congress corporator Rajhans Singh will
face stiff competition from the Shiv Sena’s Laxman Parab and the NCP’s Anita
Shetty.
Constituency 161: Shikshak Nagar Former housing minister and NCP leader
Nawab Malik has put up his brother, Kaptan Malik, from this ward. He faces a
stiff fight from sitting BJP corporator Khamanchand Jain, Haji Muzaffar
(Cong) and Hannan Khan (Samajwadi).
THAT SINKING FEELING: Filth has begun accumulating along the Mithi again and
the river’s complete clean-up is a major issue in the BMC elections for
residents living along its banks