Mumbai: Kalina residents raise a stink about sewage puddle

Sewage water outside Amrapali Co-operative Housing Society at Manipada in Kalina, Santacruz East

For over one and a half years, nearly 30,000 residents of Manipada in Kalina, Santacruz East, have been forced to live with gutter water from a sewage line that accumulates on their road on a daily basis. Apart from the stench and health hazard owing to the mosquitoes breeding in the stagnant water, locals say that huge bandicoots frequently enter their houses. Dilip Pawar, secretary of Amrapali Co-operative Housing Society, stated that though over 20 letters had been written to various authorities - mid-day has copies of acknowledgements - action is still awaited.

"Our problems started after shoddy construction work commenced on a sewage line and road under an elevated road. The pillar piling work actually damaged the line, causing obstructions to the flow of water. This results in it overflowing onto the main road. We are the worst hit, as the water accumulates right outside our main gate and nearly a thousand residents of our building, including children and senior citizens, have no choice but to do a balancing act on semi-submerged makeshift stones and cement slabs, which have been placed over the filthy water," alleged Pawar.

Society Chairman Narendra Butola said that the sewage water was constantly seeping from three points on the road, and, being a low-lying area close to Kalina University, flooding occurs during the monsoon. "Imagine the plight of us residents who have to walk through a concoction of knee-deep rain and toilet water," he said. Another resident, Dr Priyanka Jadhav, complained that the stench emanating from the sewage and hoards of mosquitoes were forcing the society members to keep their windows shut at all times. "We have to endure the menace. The filthy puddle is an open breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies, and to make matters worst, hawkers and some business establishments have now mistaken this spot as a dumping ground for their garbage," she said.

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A source in a local BMC-run medical facility confirmed that cases of cough and fever, which could be attributed to stagnant sewage water and changes in climatic conditions, were on the rise and they would be soon submitting a detailed report to the ward office. Local MLA Sanjay Potnis told mid-day he was unaware of the problem as no one had approached him with complaints. "Ask the aggrieved residents to meet me and we shall resolve the issue at the earliest," he said. Attempts to reach Swapnaja Kshirsagar, assistant commissioner, H East ward, were unsuccessful.

30,000
No of Manipada locals dealing with issue