Need quick resolution to Mahim locals’ woes

The hutment dwellers are not moving into a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) building made specifically to re-house them. A majority of hutment dwellers have moved but there is a small number that still stand obdurately on the road

A comprehensive report in this paper highlighted how at least three cooperative housing societies in Mahim have had an access road width cut substantially because of hutments standing on that path.

The hutment dwellers are not moving into a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) building made specifically to re-house them. A majority of hutment dwellers have moved but there is a small number that still stand obdurately on the road.

The letters by buildings to authorities’ state that there is a distinct danger as emergency vehicles are unable to access these buildings. Even the civic authorities agreed that vehicles are unable to access the road and there is a danger.

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Yet, there is a ping-pong battle between different agencies with no apparent solution to this problem. Move fast and with will in moving these hutment dwellers to the accommodation made for them, or another facility, but free up the road so that problems are solved.

We cannot be reactive and wait for deaths to occur and then start cracking on this. This is a fairly straightforward case. Though since it has taken eight years and there are no signs of any resolution, one can only put it down to wheels within wheels.

There are buildings in Mumbai where access is compromised because of space crunch, encroachment, illegal constructions and even permissions given without factoring in certain proportions, like width for vehicles.

So rampant is this that it is close to out of control. Yet, where there is an avenue to tackle this or there is a way out, one cannot be mired in bureaucracy and keep spinning in circles. Disaster and tragedy waits for no one and has no respect for this reprehensible rigmarole. Sort this out double quick as the clock is ticking and there is recourse to a ready alternative.

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