Mumbai’s three constituencies want clean air, better homes

Issues of rising health concerns due to air pollution, illegal high-rises coexisting with slums and industrial units were major poll promises

In the three constituencies of Jogeshwari, Chandivali and Dharavi in Mumbai, the issues of obstacles around redevelopment, rising health concerns due to air pollution, illegal high-rises coexisting with slums and industrial units, long-pending rehabilitation projects, poor living condition in slums, lack of tribal welfare are major poll promises.

From Jogeshwari (coming under Mumbai North-West parliamentary seat), Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Anant Bala Nar (58), who has been a corporator for 10 years and chairperson of several BMC committees, is contesting against Shiv Sena candidate Manisha Waikar (61), who is the wife of MP Ravindra Waikar. Mr. Waikar switched from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena just before Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.

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From Chandivali (Mumbai North-Central), Naseem Khan (61), a Congress candidate who has been a four-time MLA, is contesting against Shiv Sena candidate Dilip Lande (63), who has been MLA since 2014.

In Dharavi (Mumbai South-Central), where a heated discussion over the multi-crore Dharavi Redevelopment Project has been in the news, Congress candidate Jyoti Gaikwad (47), who is also the sister of Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, is contesting against Shiv Sena candidate Rajesh Khandare (50), a social worker.

Ms. Manisha Waikar said that once in power, the key concern will be to focus on slum rehabilitation projects. “It has been a long pending demand of people to live in afforadable and decent homes. MP Ravindra Waikar has taken this concern to New Delhi and demanded for affordable homes under the Prime Minister’s fund for tribals and slum dwellers.”

While leaders with political background were seen campaigning with pomp and splendour in vans and sunroof cars decked up with marigold flowers with autos and motorbikes in the front and back rooting for the candidate on speakers, Independent candidate Vitthal Govind Lad, founder of Kashtakari Shetkari Sanghtana and Shramik Mukti Andolan, was walking from locality to locality interacting with people. He is contesting from Jogeshwari East Assembly seat and his party symbol “pen nib with seven rays” speaks of the concerns of people who are working with the organisation for years. “We have crowdfunded the election campaign cost and the security deposit of ₹10,000 for me to contest. All the pamphlets, posters, banners, and microphone costs. We do not have any car or big vans. We are walking and interacting with people,” said Mr. Lad, who has been a social worker for the past 41 years with a degree in Master of Social Work from Mumbai University.

“We want to emphasise good quality homes for people under SRA project, access to potable water, proper sewage and drainage facilities and proper road in slums and tribal areas. This constituency has two kinds of spaces: one is an urban area where the population is more, but the geographical space is small and then Aarey Milk Colony where the space is bigger, but population is slim. If elected, we will work for the rights of tribal residents of Aarey to protect their land, their habitat and wildlife. We will restart the Aarey Dairy centre that has been shut for years.”

In Chandivali, fed up with false promises by political parties, the residents here made their own manifesto. Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association said, “The reason we released a manifesto is because we do not have hopes from politicians. There are over a thousand residents who worked together to prepare the 20 points manifesto that raises key concerns of such as, the MLA should respect the public mandate and not switch political parties’ post-elections; stringent action against illegal bhattis [furnaces] and cement plants that is causing health concerns for many; affordable electricity charges.”

Besides, Mr. Makkar said stop misuse of public funds to distribute freebies; effectively implement the Right to Service Act and the Right to Information Act among various government departments; include the BMC within the scope of the State government online RTI system; cap on private school fees and hospital charges; stop political encroachment on public spaces;  resolve traffic congestion, implement development plan roads;  a fully functional fire station for Chandivali and Powai among other important issues.”

Residents of Dharavi’s Shatabdi Nagar locality wanted to boycott the elections but then they wish to change the government as they do not want the multi-crore redevelopment project to be carried out by business tycoon, Gautam Adani.  Roshan Shaikh, 47, said, “We want Dharavi redevelopment, but within Dharavi and not outside Dharvi. The project should be done by the government body and not by Adani who plans to throw Dharavikars out of Dharavi to strange far-off places in saltpans to dumping yards.”

Shalini Sidharth Kamle, 52, said, “We are not boycotting the election because if we do not vote how else will we change this government? In the last few years, the current government has only given us stress in the name of Adani.”

Published - November 18, 2024 10:36 pm IST