Pitted roads, overflowing drains and hawkers occupying the footpath – in the last 18 years that I have lived in Khadi no 3 in Mumbai’s Saki Naka area, this has been a regular sight. But it’s difficult to get used to living in such conditions despite calling this place home all my life.
The condition of roads at Saki Naka’s Khadi No 3 has been deteriorating over the years. In the last three years, things have only gotten worse. After every monsoon, the roads are dotted with potholes and chunks of it have broken off along the sides. At one junction, the road has caved in leaving the drain exposed in a hole big enough to cause an accident. If a child slips and falls into the it, their rescue would be exceedingly difficult, perhaps impossible.
Pipes carrying drinking water across the area have leakages in places – apart from wasting drinking water, this also causes the dirty gutter water to seep into the pipes and we end up receiving dirty water in our homes. BMC only collects the garbage from here daily, but apart from that, they do nothing.
Hawkers too have set up shop across the footpath, blocking pedestrians and making the already narrow roads even more congested. About a month ago, the BMC had removed them from the footpath but they are back again.
A few years ago, we had a corporator who extended some help – he made arrangements to clean this place – but the present corporators don’t even bother. Instead, they bicker over who is in charge of the area – we’re the ones who suffer as they pass the buck. We can write letters to the BMC, I had even made a call to them once, but they must take the initiative. I request the local MLA and civic body officials to come live here with us for a few days, maybe only then will they understand what living in these conditions is like.
Producer & Camera: Ankita Sinha
Editor: Veeru Mohan
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