Thane: Begging bowls out, potholes filled in Diva

A group of local activists from Diva took action to fix the many potholes on the road from Shilgaon Naka to Diva station in Thane. After repeated complaints were ignored by authorities, the activists launched a "Bheek Maango Andolan," collecting money from locals to fund repairs. The movement gained attention, and on Thursday, activists were seen begging for funds at the Diva ward committee office and on the road. The protest allegedly prompted the authorities to start road repairs, install barricades, and use JCB machines to fix the road.

A potholed road in Diva

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Activists, along with Prahar Janshakti Party members, led the protest. "One protester wore a banner about the potholes and carried a money box, begging from locals who had come to the office for work. We also begged from motorcyclists and auto-rickshaw passengers on the stretch, asking them to contribute since the authorities were not responding to our complaints. People face daily issues due to the condition of the road.

If enough locals help, we could collect a significant fund and repair the road ourselves," said Aditya Chikte, president of Kalwa-Mumbra for Prahar Janshakti, who participated in the protest. Chikte added that as soon as the protest began, the authorities started repairing the road. "Feeling insulted that residents had started a begging movement, the authorities woke up and began the work. When we visited the road today (Thursday), we were surprised to see barricades and JCB machines working to repair the road. We're happy that action was taken, but we question why it takes a protest for the authorities to respond. We are taxpayers - why aren't we getting better roads without having to protest?" Chikte asked. Other members who participated in the protest included Vishwas Phurde, Santosh Misal, and Sangam Gupta.

A protester begging for money outside the ward office

Vishwas Phurde, a Diva resident, questioned why Diva is always neglected. "Compared to Kalwa and Mumbra, the population in Diva is growing daily due to affordable housing. However, the infrastructure is non-existent, and no one is ready to develop the area. This story highlights the power of collective action and community involvement in bringing about change," said Phurde. Deepak Mane, executive engineer of the Diva ward committee, said, "It's not that we started the work because of the protest. The repair work was already planned and in progress. We continuously carry out repairs."