Battle for BMC: M-East ward tops the list for the highest crime rate

Overview

The M-East ward spans Chembur East, Govandi and Mankurd, and includes Anushakti Nagar with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) township, Deonar, Baiganwadi, Shivaji Nagar, Gautam Nagar, Cheeta Camp and Mankurd Village areas.

It is one of the most under-privileged wards in the city, with a 77.5 per cent slum population. The entire municipal ward has an abysmal human development index of 0.05. According to the 2011 census, 34 per cent of the 41.85 per cent of slum population in the city resides in the M-East ward. At least 50 per cent households stay in average or poor housing conditions, says a 2011 report of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

Bainganwadi is the worst example as far as literacy rate is concerned in the ward, at 25 per cent. The percentage of unemployed people in M-East ward stands at 51.87 per cent. On the health front, 50 per cent of the population in the ward suffers from lifestyle-oriented illnesses especially in areas like Shivaji nagar and Mankhurd. Nutrition related problems plague most children with 45 per cent of them suffering from stunted growth and almost 35 per cent being underweight.

Open defecation and poor hygiene makes this ward prone to spread of epidemics. The biggest challenge for the civic body in this ward is slum redevelopment. Another big challenge is closure of Deonar dumping ground, the biggest and oldest dumping ground in the city.

Political scenario

Though the area is majorly Muslim dominated, the Samajwadi Party leads with four corporators while the Shiv Sena has three. The presence of Congress is also felt in the ward. M East ward has traditionally seen unpredictable voting patterns from slum voters who decide the fate of the candidates.

M-East ward had 13 electoral wards, but for the upcoming elections, the electoral wards have increased to 15 post-delimitation.

At present, the MP is Rahul Shewale from Shiv Sena who is a corporator in Mankhurd, and the MLAs are Tukaram Kate and Prakash Phaterphekar, both from Shiv Sena.

MP from North East Mumbai, Kirit Somaiya from BJP represents a part of M-East ward (Mankurd-Shivaji Nagar) and the MLA of the area is Abu Azmi from Samajwadi Party.

Issues

The crime rate is highest in this ward. In Shivaji Nagar alone, 600 crimes are reported per year and an equal number of crimes are estimated to go unrecorded

The implementation of Slum Rehabilitation Authority scheme (SRA) is at a very slow pace.

Fires at the Deonar dumping ground and resulting smoke cause a lot of health issues for the residents in Chembur, Govandi and Mankhurd. This has often led to protests to shut the overburdened dumping ground. A huge fire at the dumping ground in January led to closure of schools due to respiratory problems among children

Due to poor hygiene, spread of diseases like typhoid, cholera, malaria, dengue is high in this area. A majority of slum tenants live in unhygienic conditions. Awareness regarding maintaining hygiene, schooling, defecation is required

Residents speak

I am staying in this area since childhood but I have not seen any development. The builders come to collect documents for redevelopment. However, the work never starts. We have submitted our documents long ago, but there are no proceedings. There was redevelopment in the PNG area years ago, but after that there have been no SRA schemes. Every monsoon, there is water logging, and we often have to walk to the railway station in knee-deep water.
—Meena Parcha, a resident of a slum in Mankhurd.

The Deonar dumping ground is the biggest hazard. There is a rise in medical cases due to the hazardous gases from the garbage. The BMC has not taken too many measures to curb the problem of garbage dumping. We have regular meetings with Sewage Waste Management department, but they are passive. The SRA buildings which have come up have people rehabilitated from slums outside this ward. The slums from this ward should be redeveloped first.
—Rajkumar Sharma, ALM Coordinator and resident of Chembur East

The official word

Shrinivas Kilaje, Assistant Commissioner of M-East ward said, "The biggest challenge before the civic ward office in this area is open defecation. While adults reluctantly use community toilets, they don't want to spend on children and so they are made to sit in open to defecate. For this, civic body has provided free toilets specially for children. Of 60 per cent of the slum area, only 4 to 5 per cent area is slated to go for SRA schemes until now. However, work is yet to begin. Major project of laying roads, making pathways in slum areas, drainage lines will be taken up soon. A remarkable project of study centre for students of the area is undertaken by BMC," he added.