Mumbai: Bandra is drowning in noise and piles of garbage, say locals

Whether it’s in the posher areas or in the slum pockets of this ward, local residents are losing sleep over these long-standing issues and official apathy

H/West ward is a microcosm of Mumbai, with its mixed bag of inhabitants. The ward consists of tony areas like Bandstand (home to Shah Rukh Khan and other celebrities) as well as the fishing village of Khar Danda. But not all is hunky dory in the Queen of suburbs. Bad roads, encroachments, water leakages, bad sewerage links, poor connectivity, traffic, illegal construction, water contamination are issues that plague this area.

This ward has quite a few reputed churches, colleges, hospitals and restaurants that draw people from across the city. While parts of the ward have been traditional Christian localities, others are predominantly Muslim - local corporators represent these demographics. But there are a few problems peculiar to this ward.

Main Issues:

Restaurant ruckus: People from across the city are drawn to Bandra for the sheer number and variety of restaurants there, but for the local residents this has turned into a big headache. Some restaurants make alterations to the structure illegally, and most have some sort of outdoor seating. Residents often suffer sleepless nights as they can hear patrons drinking and revelling into the wee hours. Locals have written to several authorities about this menace, to no avail. The municipal commissioner even directed ward officials to take action on encroachments, but the issue returned once again.

Locals from the Khar Danda slums allege that scrap shops have become a haven for mosquitoes and anti-social elements. Pic/Sameer Markande

Mosquito menace: The slum dwellers of Khar Danda aren’t getting much sleep either, due to mosquito infestation. Locals complain that there are several scrap dealers who have set up shop near their slums illegally. This allows mosquitoes to breed and thrive, leading to diseases like dengue and malaria during the monsoon. Locals allege that the scrap dealers have political clout and that is why ward officials turn a blind eye to their operations.

Waste woes: Residents in the posher parts of Bandra have fewer worries but are nevertheless miffed about the BMC’s apathy towards waste segregation, particularly in light of the recent fire disaster at the Deonar dumping ground. Residents said that although they dutifully separate all the dry and wet waste, the BMC does not collect them separately, as it is supposed to do. Waste disposal is already a problem for the entire city, with the dumping grounds being filled over their maximum capacity. Locals also pointed out that trimmed tree branches also remain lying on the roadside, as they are not picked up by the waste collectors.

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