Mahim could possibly turn out to be one of the key constituencies in Mumbai this election, with the battle line drawn between the two Senas. While the Shiv Sena, with its legacy of founder Bal Thackeray, is seen as a strong contender for a repeat win, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), formed by Thackeray’s nephew Raj in 2006 after he walked out of the Shiv Sena, is a formidable opponent.
The constituency has historical significance as part of the first planned scheme of Mumbai, and can be termed the ‘heart of Mumbai’. But residents’ concerns stem today from the overloaded infrastructure of the once neatly planned area. Narrow roads, hawkers, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) new vehicle parking policy are what is bothering residents ahead of the elections.
It was the plague epidemic of the 1890s that prompted the Bombay City Improvement Trust to decongest what is now south Mumbai and relocate people to the central suburbs, such as Dadar, Matunga, Wadala and Sion. Some of the oldest institutions in Dadar and Shivaji Park, such as the Dr. Antonio Da Silva High School founded in 1851, are reminders of the planning scheme.
As the area evolved over the decades from the 1940s to the 1970s, it saw Bombay Dyeing, Kohinoor, Ruby, Gold Mohur, Tata and other mills occupying prime land, before the industry went through a churn in the late ’80s that saw many of them shut down. The period also saw the evolution of the Marathi manoos , who took over the area from the East Indian community.
Today, the planned scheme of the 1890s cannot withstand the scale of the current population. And the residents here are much aware of what their constituency lacks. The roads are too narrow to accommodate the explosion in number of vehicles, and the old housing schemes lack parking spaces, further cramping streets with parked vehicles.
Dadar, which houses one of the most prominent railway stations in Mumbai offering connectivity to the Western, Central and Harbour lines, has little room for people to even walk.
Kashmeera, a resident of Patkar House, says, “We stay in buildings that existed here even before Independence, and they don’t have internal parking space. So we all have to park on the road. We are being now told to park in public lots, which are 1.5 km away. With the Metro work under way, we have to take a long detour to go park in the public lots. Who will pay for the petrol?”
“We have children and senior citizens at home. In case of an emergency, we will have all the time to go to the parking lot in a cab, pick up our car, and then rush,” she quips.
Ms. Kashmeera said the residents had suggested that footpaths be made narrower to provide paid parking to them. “If the government cannot do that then we have made a list of people living the area, and we will get stickers made with our respective building names to identify the cars,” she says.
Ashok Rawat, another resident of Dadar, said the parking policy is the most talked about subject among those living here, as it has created a lot of confusion. “For example, there is a super market where goods need to be loaded and unloaded onto vehicles. But there is no waiting time, and if the vehicles wait then they are fined,” he says.
Illegal hawkers
Residents also point out that other problems that affect roads and traffic don’t get as much attention as parking.
Vinod Desai, a retired Reserve Bank of India official who lives in the area, says, “Hawkers clog the road near Siddhivinayak temple and make it very difficult for traffic to flow smoothly. The issue always ends up being political, but no party has been able to solve the problem.” The same is the case around Dadar railway station and Tulsi Pipe Road, which see perennial traffic congestion.
Sheetal Kardekar, another resident of Dadar, says the Shiv Sena and the MNS should stop taking the Marathi people for granted. “Illegal hawkers are a big issue in Dadar, and the rehabilitation of hundreds who were shifted out of markets is still pending. The redevelopment of old wadi s and chawls is pending. With all this, the BMC has now started slapping parking fines of ₹10,000,” she says.
MNS candidate Sandeep Deshpande, who has been campaigning continuously, blames Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar for not doing any work in five years. “The biggest issue currently for residents is that of parking penalties. Imposing penalties in 500m area from a parking lot is all right, but the BMC has declared all of Gokhale Road a no-parking zone. It has already started levying penalties, which is unfair to residents who do not have an alternative. I have been told that the penalties will be scrapped,” he said.
With his campaign called “100% Sandeep Deshpande,” the MNS candidate wants to bring about redevelopment of old buildings in Mahim’s fisherfolk colonies and of Dadar’s markets, and wants to develop a food street in the area.
Mr. Sarvankar remained unavailable for comment despite several attempts to contact him.
