Elderly man sits for 4 hours on flooded road in protest

Ashok Talajiya said his ground floor home gets flooded every year even in moderate rain as the nullah is choked. Pic/Hanif Patel

A 70-year-old man sat on a waterlogged road in Vasai for four hours to protest against the abysmal infrastructure of Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) on Monday. The elderly man, Ashok Talajiya, told mid-day that he has been complaining to civic officials regarding cleaning of nullahs in his area for several years, but his complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

His daughter said that an electric pole base, made of concrete, is choking the water flow inside the nullah, flooding their home every monsoon.

"I live in Ashwin Nagar society in Vasai West. Our house is on the ground floor which always gets flooded even in moderate rain as the nullah is always choked," Talajiya told mid-day.

"In 2017, my flat got waterlogged for the first time and all my belongings got damaged in the flood. I incurred a loss of Rs 1.50 lakh, as it took four days for the rainwater to recede," he said.

Talajiya sat on the waterlogged road holding placards on his chest and back. He had started to shiver while talking to mid-day.

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"I am sitting here out of sheer helplessness and I hope someone will now hear my complaint. I am an old person, the government should listen to my request," said Talajiya who was completely drenched.

His daughter Komal, who works in Jogeshwari, said, "It becomes very difficult to live if the house is waterlogged as the washroom starts to overflow and the entire house becomes filthy."

Talajiya has now bought 40 paver blocks to keep his belongings including refrigerator, bed, washing machine, etc at a height to prevent damage to them every monsoon.

Calls and messages sent to Assistant Municipal Commissioner Gilson Gonsalves went unanswered.