'Contractor continues to let Mahim shore be an eyesore'

On June 15, while around 40 of them showed up to clean up, there were no trucks to pick up the collected garbage and only a couple of the contractor's workers were on duty, volunteers have claimed.

Citizens involved with cleaning up Mahim beach for 21 months, are furious with the poor performance of the contractor, who has been appointed by the civic body to help clear it of the garbage. On June 15, while around 40 volunteers showed up to clean up, there were no trucks to pick up the collected garbage and only a couple of workers were on duty. Angry volunteers have complained to the BMC which has warned the contractor.

In September 2018, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had appointed a contractor to clean and maintain the 5-km long stretch of Mahim beach at a cost of R12.25 crore for six years. The contractor is supposed to provide 24 workers every day during the dry months and 50 during the monsoon months.

'Poorly planned'
Indranil Sengupta, a resident of Mahim, who started the movement of cleaning up the beach along with his wife Rabia Tewari, pointed out that the BMC's initiative of appointing contractors was poorly planned.

"Mahim beach isn't a VIP beach and due to its location at the confluence of the Mithi river with the sea, most of the garbage washes up on it. In this age of technology, the BMC hired a contractor who provides 24 workers to clean an entire beach with rakes and buckets, which isn't enough. Last Saturday, though 40 volunteers were trying to pick up garbage in the rain, there were only 2-3 workers and no trucks available," he said. He added that he had a good meeting with the G North ward officials and hopes things will improve soon. Among the 40 volunteers was Udit Khanna who has been attending the weekly beach clean-up events for the past six months.

Official ensures action
"I used to go to school in Mahim and I have fond memories of the beach. We have been trying to clean it but cannot do it without the support of the BMC. In a city like Mumbai, where there is a dearth of open spaces, Mahim beach can be a lovely space for families if it is cleaned and maintained properly," he said.

Sengupta approached the G North ward office accompanied by environmentalist and lawyer Afroze Shah on Tuesday. Shah said that after their meeting with the ward officials, they conducted a site visit the same day. "We met the ward officials and raised concerns that the contractor was not up to the mark. The tender clearly mentions that the beach should be clean at all times,' he said.

Shah added that the Assistant Municipal Commissioner of G North ward, Kiran Dighavkar, promised to look into the matter. "Apart from the short-term measures, we have also discussed the long-term plan which that includes the beautification of the beach. Lights, dustbins and benches will be set up and there will have to be awareness among people to not litter the beach," he said.

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'Will get work done'
When contacted, Dighavkar said that he would look into the matter. "We received complaints from the residents about the contractor and have given him a verbal warning. We will make sure that the work gets done," he said.

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