Mumbai: Residents raise alarm as Lokhandwala road becomes dumping site

mid-day spotted garbage piled on the Jankidevi School Road on Tuesday. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav

Even as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has emphasised maintaining cleanliness in Mumbai, a road at Lokhandwala in Andheri West seems to have fallen prey to garbage dumping. People residing in societies along the Jankidevi School Road have questioned the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over the lack of action on the continuing problem.

The Jankidevi School Road, located behind Sardar Vallabhai Patel Nagar, is an arterial road that connects to the Lokhandwala back road and is used by hundreds of motorists daily. During a visit to the road on Tuesday, mid-day noticed stinking piles of garbage accumulated on the road, which is also used by residents for walks in the morning and evening.

Resident Sushiela Bhakkar told mid-day, "Garbage dumping on the Jankidevi School Road has been going on for two years. It seems trucks from outside the area may be dumping the garbage here in the middle of the night to avoid being noticed. Societies located on this road are disciplined and manage their garbage well with the help of their staff.

This dump seems to have waste generated by restaurants and households. Sofas, mattresses and other household furniture have been noticed here. Even if the BMC cleans it on a particular day, a huge mound of dump reappears the next day." Apart from the road, garbage in small quantities was also thrown into the mangroves adjacent to the road.

Lack of security

Another resident, Aameya S, said, "The garbage is being dumped every day. The BMC appears to be least bothered. Morning and evening walkers have to bear the brunt of the issue. The local civic ward should keep tabs on this road and take strict action against those dumping garbage." Another resident, Sunil Chopra, claimed, "The road also faces other issues, including defecation, a variety of illegal business such as auto shops, handcarts selling food, fruit and vegetables that take up huge swathes of space."

Of the three tall mast lights installed on Jankidevi School Road, only one is currently operating. The CCTV cameras also appear to be out of order. Residents said that if these were to be up and working, the road would become more secure. Another resident, Animesh Shetty, claimed that the road turns into a haven for drug addicts and couples looking for privacy in the evening. "Youngsters start to crowd around dusk on two-wheelers since there are neither lights nor patrolling police officers. Our housing society had to install lights facing the road to deal with this nuisance," Shetty said.

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Mast lights installed on road