NCP corporator fasts for clean-up of Mithi river

Saida Khan calls off fast after assurances from civic body

Saeeda Khan protesting outside BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta’s office on Wednesday.

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party corporator Saida Khan went on a fast on Wednesday against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s “shoddy” desilting of the Mithi river. The corporator has claimed that work on a retaining wall was never undertaken while debris is still lying on its banks, which leads to flooding in several areas of Kurla every year. The seven-hour fast was called off after assurances from the administration.

Around noon, Ms. Khan, along with corporator Kaptan Malik, began an indefinite hunger strike outside the Municipal Commissioner’s chamber. Their party workers began to gather, leading to chaos. Ms. Khan alleged the BMC had not heeded her demands and warnings over the years, forcing her to take the step.

Ms. Khan had three demands: work on the retaining wall be completed, heaps of debris lying in and around the river be removed and Mithi’s banks be beautified. She claimed that every year, areas like Taximen’s Colony, Satyajivan Society and the slum pockets of Ambedkar Nagar, Maharashtra Nagar, Indira Nagar and Parikhadi get flooded due to these measures not being taken.

“The debris has been lying in the area for years. This leads to flooding in Taximen’s Colony. I have been demanding that the work on the retaining wall be completed. When the administration did not respond, I had to begin a fast,” Ms. Khan told The Hindu.

Harminder Singh, secretary of Bombay Taximen’s Society, supported her claim. “I have been living here since 1981. Every time there is heavy rain or high tide, at least 2-3 ft of water accumulates here. BMC’s claims of desilting are a sham.”

“The construction of the wall was stayed a stay in court while the debris is MMRDA’s responsibility. Meanwhile, a beautification plan for Mithi is in the offing. We tried to tell her this even before she went on a fast. After she began the fast, we mobilised agencies and lifted six trucks of debris from the spot,” said a senior civic official.

After seven hours, Ms. Khan was invited for a joint meeting with civic and MMRDA officials. “They have already started removing debris. I told the commissioner to approach the CM for the retaining wall. He also accepted my suggestion for beautification. That is when I decided to break my hunger strike,” Ms. Khan said.