With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to inaugurate the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link on Jan. 12 approaching, the city is experiencing a cleaning frenzy. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has tasked local ward officers along Modi's planned route, from INS Shikra in Colaba to the Eastern Freeway and then to the MTHL, with ensuring impeccable cleanliness. However, this sudden beautification drive has raised questions about the government's true intentions, with some residents viewing it as mere window dressing rather than a genuine effort to address deeper issues.
The BMC, under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's instruction, launched the "Maha Swachhta Abhiyan" in December to tackle Mumbai's climate change concerns. But residents in targeted areas have expressed reservations. Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association, questioned the selection criteria, pointing out areas like IRB Road and the IIT Bombay vicinity, despite being heavily littered and frequented by schoolchildren, were neglected in favor of "posh, clean, well-maintained areas" like Hiranandani Garden.
Similar concerns arose from Dharavi, where a cleaning drive at T Junction focused on road maintenance, hoarding removal, and public toilet upkeep. A resident lamented, "The cleaning was done at the T junction, what about the interiors of Dharavi?" He highlighted other pressing issues like dirty public toilets, poor sanitation, and open garbage dumps. A shop owner echoed the sustainability concerns, saying, "I see people sweeping every day early in the morning that used to happen earlier also, so what is the hype?"
The cleaning drive encompasses 10 city pockets, including Veermata Jeejabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo, Dhawan Ground, Bandra Station West, Versova Beach, Bangur Nagar Goregaon, Sawarkar Ground Kurla, Amarnath Udyan Govandi, D mart junction Hiranandani school at Bhandup, and Thakur Village Kandivali. However, LokmatTimes.com's visit to Goregaon revealed confusion among residents about specific locations. A rickshaw driver directed them to Ganesh Ghat, where despite clean roads, a persistent stench emanated from a nearby garbage dump. Sonu, a Bhangur Nagar resident, said, "The area stinks a lot, but it is what it is."
Despite CM Shinde's declared goal of addressing pollution at the campaign launch, residents feel priority issues are being ignored. The civic body deployed various sanitation equipment, but inconsistencies in following standard operating procedures like removing illegal hoardings and controlling hawkers remain. Makkar highlighted several such instances, including 14 illegal hoardings in Hiranandani Garden and hawkers dumping massive amounts of garbage daily near IIT Bombay. He emphasized the need for addressing these issues before beautification efforts can have a lasting impact.
Furthermore, Makkar pointed out the apparent contradiction in Shinde's approach. "While on one side he is working on the beautification of Mumbai, on the other side efforts seem to be going in vain. The Chief Minister needs to first instruct his own party members on the importance of cleanliness," he stated.