MMRC contractors wrote to Mahim police about the encroachment menace, but to no avail
Encroachers have made makeshift beds along the footpath
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For the past couple of months, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) appointed contractors have been at their wits’ end trying to get on with the work on the Colaba-Bandra Seepz Metro Line III. Beggars and drug peddlers in the Mahim area, have become roadblocks in the effort. Fed up of the nuisance, the contractors have written to the Mahim Police for help.
They have alleged that there has been no response by the police to the letter written earlier this month. On February 6, the CEC-ITD CEM-TPL consortium wrote to the senior police inspector of Mahim police station urging them to relocate or remove the hindrances delaying metro construction work. They alleged that beggar encroachments were rampant along pavements between Lady Jamshedji Road and Razzak Manzil to China Bay restaurant at Mahim West and MMC Cross Road number 5.
They often sleep beside the Metro-III barricades
The letter
The letter, a copy of which is in possession of mid-day, reads, "In concern for the safety of our staff and the public residing nearby, we would like to inform you that we are facing a lot of trouble with beggars and anti-social elements, who roam around near our metro station construction areas. They are disturbing the work environment. Often we find these people urinating and defecating on the footpath, which leads to unhygienic conditions. There have been many instances when drug addicts and thieves were found engaging in illegal activities inside our work area. They were caught red-handed, but they always managed to flee after threatening the staff in-charge. It has become a serious and dangerous situation for us and also for the people living nearby. We request you to come up with a strong action plan to put an end to this situation."
The situation
During a late night visit to the location near Lady Jamshedji Road, mid-day found several encroachers sleeping beside the metro barricades. The traffic warden posted near the metro site told mid-day that the encroachers do not pay heed to their requests to relocate. He said, "We keep asking these encroachers to vacate the area around the construction work, but all efforts end in arguments. Many of these encroachers deliberately urinate on the pavements along the site. Even drug peddlers and addicts frequent this construction site. It’s only when we alert the cops that they flee from the spot."
This correspondent saw at least 10-12 traffic wardens patrolling the construction site. But, nearly 20 beggars encroached the footpaths. Senior inspector Milind T Idekar from Mahim said, "I will have to look into the complaint to comment. But, our patrolling teams have been doing regular rounds in the area. We would like to request the contractors to heighten their security provisions, too."
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