Mahim Residents Call for Immediate Clean-Up of Garbage Piles
Residents of Mahim have voiced their frustration over the persistent garbage piles accumulating near St. Michael Church every Thursday, prompting them to address their grievances to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani. The residents are urging immediate intervention from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as they contend with unhygienic conditions that disrupt the daily commute of office-goers and school children.
The problem begins every Wednesday evening, when illegal hawkers set up their stalls along Cross Road No. 1 and 2 on Lady Jamshedji Road. The hawkers cater to the crowds attending the church’s weekly novena (prayers), but once they vacate the area around 10 pm, they leave behind a significant amount of litter, including food waste and plastic. This garbage accumulation persists throughout Thursday morning, creating a problematic and unsanitary stretch for pedestrians. Local resident voiced his concerns, suggesting that the BMC could easily address the issue by deploying cleaning staff late on Wednesday nights or in the early hours of Thursday morning, when the garbage is left behind. “Why can’t the BMC assign a dedicated cleaning team to manage this issue, just as they do in A-Ward (Colaba-Cuffe Parade)?” they questioned. He further suggested that when staff in A-Ward are not engaged, they could be redirected to clean areas like Mahim, where such issues persist.
Residents also pointed to the lack of trash bins for the hawkers, which exacerbates the problem. They claimed that the absence of proper waste disposal options, coupled with the BMC’s inaction, has led to a build-up of garbage each week. The ongoing issue has led some residents to ask, “Is Swachh Mumbai Harit Mumbai merely a slogan?” – referring to the government’s cleanliness campaign that has yet to address the local sanitation crisis. In light of these ongoing complaints, Mahim residents are calling for more proactive measures from the authorities to ensure regular cleaning, proper waste disposal, and a cleaner environment in the area, especially near religious and public spaces like St. Michael Church.
