Once envisioned as the pride of Navi Mumbai’s infrastructure, the scenic approach road leading to Atal Setu and JNPT has now turned into an unkempt stretch littered with rotting waste. What was designed as a gateway to a modern township has instead become a dumping ground, where heaps of garbage stand in stark contrast to the backdrop of rising high-rises.On a recent visit, this correspondent found the wide road leading towards Uran strewn with domestic refuse and construction debris. Ironically, a warning board put up by the city’s development authority against unauthorised dumping stood right beside the mounting garbage, a clear indication of how routine the problem has become.
Local waste collectors admitted that the garbage originates largely from nearby residential buildings and villages, while some of it is meant to be picked up by a private contractor. The gaps in accountability have left the area vulnerable to unchecked dumping, forcing informal scrap collectors to extract valuables from the piles while the rest continues to rot.Medical experts in the vicinity have flagged the alarming health hazards of such neglect. Beyond being an eyesore that damages the city’s image, the open garbage heaps invite pests, foul odour, and the risk of waterborne diseases, particularly with the monsoon still active. The degradation of an arterial road leading to an iconic bridge highlights not only a civic failure but also a public health risk.
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Officials from the development authority confirmed that field officers have been alerted following citizen complaints, and promised urgent measures to tackle the issue. Local representatives, too, have assured intervention, with plans to restore hygiene and ensure strict monitoring of waste disposal. However, residents remain sceptical given that repeated assurances in the past have rarely translated into long-term solutions.The dumping menace also raises questions on the broader vision of urban planning in rapidly expanding townships. While Navi Mumbai was conceived as a sustainable, planned city, poor waste management has become one of its most visible failures. Unregulated dumping undermines investments in infrastructure and exposes the contradiction between modern urban aesthetics and ground-level governance.
